Melina: Book Two of Sophia
by Writersmagnet
Summary: A chilling sequel to Sophia: A Percy Jackson Fanfiction. Everything in Melina's life was going perfectly fine in her new home at Camp Half-Blood. That is, until Sophia unexpectedly falls into a coma a few days after returning to camp. Sophia had risked her life multiple times for Melina, but now the tables have turned. Can Melina save her best friend before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys, again! This is a continuation of Sophia: A Percy Jackson Fanfiction. If you haven't read that, I recommend going to my profile and reading that first. This will make more sense then. I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING! If you like what you read, follow me on Twitter at Writersmagnet.**

It's interesting how life works, isn't it?

How it manages to filp everything around, giving everyone a chance at each role. The strongest will become the victim, the weakest will become stronger, and everyone, major or minor, will become a character in this unscripted play of life.

Sophia has saved my butt more times than I can count.

I guess now it's my turn.

_Today, the tables have turned. _

**I know this chapter is short. The next chapter will be better! I promise!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi y'all! I know the last chapter really wasn't a legitimate chapter, but this one is! I'm not Rick Riordan, so I do not own Percy Jackson. I'm a girl. Without further adieu, here's Chapter 2! YOU LIKE WHAT YOU READ? FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER AT WRITERSMAGNET! Until then, keep on writing!**

"Watch your right! You tend to leave it unprotected!"

Malcolm, a son of Athena, pushed me harder as we fought. He was pretty good, but his strategy was obvious. He was trying to confuse me. He kept trying to force me to aim at his throat so that he could get a good stab at my stomach. Using the pain as a distraction, he'd hit my wrist with the hilt of his blade so Moonlight, my sword, would fall out of my hand, leaving me defenseless. Uh, no. I was _not_ going to let that happen.

He had a weakness, one that he probably didn't even know himself. He never aimed for chinks in the armor, just for disarming. His elbow also slightly twitched when he tried to feint. I feinted a throat jab and hit his sword as he went from my stomach. It skidded out of his hand, and I pointed my sword at his throat.

"Nice one, Malcolm," I told him, "but your strategy was pretty obvious. I win, again." Malcolm groaned. He hated losing to me. The conch horn sounded for lunch. I began to head to my cabin, unstrapping my armor along the way.I put my armor on my bed and looked at the calendar I had hung in my room. Today was June 4th. Sophia and Percy were coming to camp today, and I was beyond excited. I hadn't seen Sophia for a year, and that was a very long time to be away from your best friend. Sure, I had friends here at camp, but it's just not the same. Besides, if Percy went through with the plan, then she was finally adopted. She'd probably be so much more peppier.

I headed to the bathroom to wash the sweat off my face. I eyed myself in the mirror. I was probably the only pale child of Poseidon. Sure, I had naturally flushed cheeks, but I wasn't tan like Percy or Sophia. I hadn't cut my dishwater blonde hair in a long time so now it reached my belly button. I knew it was a battle hazard, especially because someone could pull on it, but I couldn't bring myself to cut it. Instead, I just put it in a bun when fighting. My hazel eyes usually looked gold, but today they were a brown color. I wore my usual Camp Half-Blood t-shirt and some skinny jeans. I walked the long walk from my cabin to the pavilion, my minds lost in thoughts of various possible battle strategies for the Capture the Flag game that we were going to play tonight. I heard footsteps running behind me and I froze, drawing Star. After the incident when I got kidnapped, I always kept my weapons on me. Star was always strapped up my sleeve like Annabeth, while Moonlight is hidden in a secret compartment in my jeans. I turned around, raising Star to attack, and saw Percy and Sophia running toward me. They looked terrible. Sophia had a gash on her cheek and the leg on her jean was dripping with blood. Percy, because of his invunerability, had no wounds, but his clothes were torn in places. Sophia grabbed me in a bone crunching hug.

"I missed you!" said Sophia, squeezing the crud out of me.

"Can't...breathe..." I managed. She let go, and I gulped the air gratefully. Sophia hadn't changed much. Her wavy, auburn hair still fell a little past her shoulders, and her eyes were still that vibrant green I knew well. She was much tanner, probably from spending a lt of time at the beach. Percy, however, changed a little. He let his hair grow out a little bit. He was in terrible need of a hair cut, especially since his black hair covered his eyes. He was also much tanner and grew at least two inches. I looked the two of them over, frowning. I am no expert of first aid, but those cuts Sophia had didn't look good. "What happened to you guys?" The two of them were doubled over, catching their breath.

"Two dracanae and four hellhounds," Percy replied, grabbing his side. "We've been swarmed with monsters ever since Sophia moved in-" Sophia cut him off.

"Hey! So it's _my _fault now!" Sophia retorted between pants.

"Well, you just _had_ to use the cell phone!" Percy replied.

"It was for good reason!"

"Sophia, calling a radio station to request a song is _not_ a valid reason!"

"It is if they're playing Justin Bieber!"

"_Shut up, you two!" _I yelled. I could see how they were siblings, but I swear, Chiron's collection didn't even give me this bad of a headache. "Now, come on. I should have some ambrosia and some spare bandages in the cabin. Come on." We headed back to the Poseidon cabin. I pulled Sophia's pant leg up, revealing a really nasty foot long cut. It looked really deep, but I prayed to Apollo as I put some nectar on it. The cut slowly disappeared. I did the same to her cheek. I went over to the closet and threw Sophia and Percy a Camp-Half Blood t-shirt. I threw Percy some basketball short that he had left behind when he left for the summer and I threw Sophia a pair of my jeans. "Change, guys. Then go see Chiron. He'd probably want to know about the attack." Sophia went into the bathroom and changed while I turned around, allowing Percy his privacy. They quickly changed and headed to Chiron. Since lunch had already ended, I rummaged through the drawers of my side table for a snack. I found some spare chocolate and gobbled it down. The sugar should last me at least until dinner. Since Annabeth had gone home for the year, I didn't have knife practice with her, which gave me an hour to kill. I took a quick shower and decided that a good nap would do me some good, especially since I couldn't sleep well last night. I lay down on my bed and quickly succumbed to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey you guys! Did I ever tell you I love you guys? You make my world go around! You mean a lot to me, and I love each and everyone of you. Anyone besides me freaking out about the Mark of Athena? Well, I'm fangirling. Can't wait until it comes out! And no, I dont own PJ. If I did, I would not wait a full blown YEAR before I released the Mark of Athena. Anyways, if you like what you read, follow me on Twitter! Until then, keep on writing!**

Sophia shook me awake. I woke up, my hands instinctively drawing Star. When I recognized who it was, I sheathed Star.

"Melina," Sophia said, concerned. "This is the seventh time I've attempted to wake you up." She gestured to my bed which was soaked in water, even though I was dry. I sat up, looking out the window. It was probably about six o'clock in the afternoon. Dang. I'd been asleep for quite some time. Sophia sat down beside me, studying me, looking for any indication of anything wrong. She sighed. "Melina, did you sleep last night?" Her green eyes filled with guilt and concern. Before I'd been kidnapped by Nemesis, I had terrible nightmares. I began to drink energy drinks and ate a lot of sugar because I was too afraid to fall asleep. Sophia blamed this on herself which obviously made no sense. She was right though; I hadn't been sleeping, but I wasn't going to tell her that. She'd go ballistic.

"Yeah," I lied. I felt bad, but I didn't want her worrying about me, especially if it was something trivial. She raised an eyebrow, and I silently thanked the gods that she wasn't the one who was blessed by Athena. She would've seen straight through my lie. She sighed.

"You know you can tell me anything," she told me for the millionth time. "You're not alone, and sometimes it's better for two people to carry the burden instead of one." Damn. She'd seen straight through my lie. I shrugged nonchalantly.

"I know," I said, my fingers creeping toward an inch long scar on the inside of my wrist. I traced the cut, almost wincing at the memory. Mom had thrown a glass cup at me, and a fairly large piece got caught in my arm. I severed a bad artery, and Sophia had to stitch it up for me. I never told her how I got the cut; she just saw it and went straight to work. I snapped out of the memory and stared at Sophia, who was still sitting at the end of my bed.

"Come on," she urged. "It's time for dinner." My stomach rumbled. I hadn't eaten anything all day. We stood up to leave the cabin when Sophia began stumbling. I rushed to her and steadied her.

"Are you okay?" I asked. "Maybe we shouldn't go to dinner." Sophia shook her head,

"I'm okay," she assured. "Just got a little dizzy there." She smiled reassuringly. "I'm fine. Let's go." I hesitated. She looked so pale; I didn't want her to pass out or anything. But I knew that Sophia could be really stubborn when she wanted to be. I sighed, defeated.

"Fine." We took a few steps, but Sophia turned green. She ran to the bathroom. I sighed, going to my closet and pulled out two bags of chips that I kept in there for snacking. I wasn't going to eat dinner today. Sophia walked out of the bathroom, still looking pale. "You are _not _going to dinner after that." She tried to protest as I led her toward her bed. I forced her to lie down as I put a hand on her forehead and ripped it away. She was burning up.

"Melina, honest, I feel fine," Sophia told me. I rolled my eyes.

"You puked, you're dizzy, _and _you're running a fever. You're not fine." I retorted. She slumped in defeat. I didn't want to give Sophia any nectar or ambrosia because her temperature was already through the roof. I didn't want to make it any worse, espcially since the godly food raises body temperature. I wanted to go get Will, one fo the healers from the Apollo cabin, but they were probably playing Capture the Flag by now. It would take forever to find them. I'd have to wait until Capture the Flag finished. That, on average, took an hour or two, depending on how good of a strategy the Athena cabin had. SInce Annabeth wasn't there, it was safe to assume that the game would take its usual ninety minutes. Then it hit me. _Water_. I leaned over Sophia, studying her. She went from looking totally fine to terrible in the span of five minutes. She was paler than I was, and her green eyes were no longer vibrant, instead, resembling murky pond water. Dark bags appeared under her eyes. I spilled the water bottle on her face.

I noticed something was wrong when Sophia got wet. Being the children of Poseidon meant that we didn't get wet unless we wanted to. When Sophia was soaked, that meant she was weak. This was no normal sickness. Something was drawing at her strength. And fast. Sophia's eyes glazed over; she was really tired.

"Sophia, rest," I told her. "I'll be back with some help." She weakly nodded and closed her eyes. I rushed out of the cabin toward the woods. I had to find Chiron. I ran into the woods, Star drawn in case a monster popped out on me. I ran, desperately trying to find someone. At last, I ran into Piper. She looked a me, confused.

"Where's your-"I cut her off.

"Get Chiron!", I told Piper. "It's Sophia!" Piper said no more. She hurriedly ran to wherever Chiron was

I ran back to the Posiedon cabin. I knelt beside Sophia. She'd gotten worse while I was gone. Her breathing was now ragged, and she was shaking in the bed. I cursed in Greek. I was blessed by Athena! That should mean something! I hated being helpless! There had to be something I could do! Chiron entered the cabin in his wheelchair, eyeing Sophia with concern.

"What exactly happened?" he asked me. So I told him. It wasn't wise to keep anything, _ever_ from Chiron. Chances were, he already knew. When I finished, he frowned, his eyebrows furrowing together.

"This is _very_ unusual," he commented. He wheeled himself over to the other side of Sophia. He placed a hand on her forehead, ripping it away as soon as it made contact. She was still burning up. She had stopped shaking. Chiron tried waking Sophia up, and he failed miserably. She wouldn't even stir. Chiron mumbled a curse under his breath. "This is just what I feared," he mumbled. He looked up at me, his eyes full of thousands of years of pain. "Melina, go get Percy. He'd want to know this as well," I was terrified. What was so bad that was going on with Sophia? I nodded and ran into the Capture the Flag game. Percy was by the river. When he saw the expression on my face, he must've realized something really bad had happened, for he just abandoned his post and ran with me back to the cabin. When we entered, Chiron was stroking hair out of Sophia's face. She let out a piercing scream, still asleep.

"STOP!" Sophia screamed, thrashing around in the bed. She let out a loud yell. Chiron was trying to calm Sophia down.

"Child, it is okay," Chiron told a sleeping Sophia. "I know it hurts, but it will stop soon." Chiron's expression was pained. He hated to see one of his heroes like this. Percy rushed over to Sophia, kneeling beside her. I did the same. After five minutes of comforting, she finally shifted into a calmer slumber. Chiron turned to the both of us.

"Sophia is like this because someone has poisoned Poseidon and his dormain."

**Dun, dun DUNNNN! Poor Sophia. Bad cliffy, I know. I'm working on it. Anyways, don't forget to review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Halla peepos! Writersmagnet here, to deliver the next installment of Melina: Book Two of Sophia! Now, since you all know that I am NOT Rick, on with the story!**

Since I was blessed by Athena, you could probably guess what I began to do.

"How do you poison a god?" I shot at Chiron. "Why is this affecting Sophia and not us?" Questions like these began flying out of my mouth. Chiron put a hand up, and I immediately quieted down.

"Melina, do not be impulsive or rash," Chiron said. "I will tell you everything you need to know in due time." At that moment, Annabeth ran into the cabin. She must've just arrived at camp for she had a little suitcase in hand. She wore a Camp Half-Blood shirt and some jeans. Her hair was tied messily into a ponytail, and her eyes were shining, obviously happy to see Percy. But this girl was forever a daughter of Athena, as I could see her scanning the scene, piecing together what had happened. Her face went grim.

"What's wrong with Sophia?" Annabeth asked, walking over to kneel besides Percy who was twirling Sophia's hair between his fingers. Seeing his newfound sister in this state must've been killing him. Besides, twirling hair was his nervous habit, whether he was doing it to his own hair or Annabeth's.

"Poseidon's been poisoned," Percy explained. "It's affecting her." Annabeth's eyes darkened, turning more calculating.

"Let's talk about this in the Big House, shall we?" Chiron said. We nodded. I stood up to leave the room, only to be stopped by another piercing scream. It was Sophia again. Chiron sighed and began stroking her hair comfortingly.

"Shh. Child, it's alright. You can do it. Fight it off," he murmured. Annabeth held Percy tight, probably afraid that he'd end up like that. Chiron continued this for five minutes as her screams died down again. I wondered what Sophia was dealing with. Whatever it was, it was bad. I was scared. Chances were, I'd end up like that soon. I remembered last year and winced. That was terrible. Could Sophia be going through the same thing or worse?

We reached the Big House and we sat down at a table. Percy and Annabeth sat next to each other, Percy comforting Annabeth, assuring her that he wouldn't end up like that. How could he make a promise like that? Gods know what might happen. He shouldn't make promises he might not keep. I sat beside Annabeth, while Chiron sat across from us.

"So what's going on?" I asked. I needed information. Chiron frowned.

"Melina, think," Chiron urged. I thought about it for a minute, putting pieces together.

"Poseidon's dormain is poisoned," I began. "But this was no ordinary poison; it was a god poison. Given to him by Nemesis I presume. It's strong enough to affect Sophia, putting her in excruciating pain. The reason Percy and I aren't affected was because we weren't fully blood bound to the sea. Percy has his Achille's Curse which delays the poison. I have been blessed by Athena, which means part of her essense is within me, preventing it from affecting me. But Sophia is just a normal daughter of Poseidon, so she had no protection. Right?" Chiron nodded.

"But you two aren't invunerable to it," Chiron cautioned. "Once the poison becomes more concentrated in your blood, it will affect you as well. I don't know how long you have until it affects you, but I estimate that it will be around a week. As for Sophia..." He hesitated. "She doesn't have much time yet. I can't tell you how long. Right now, she's having a battle. It depends on how long she can hold on before she surrenders." Chiron silenced, and we could hear Sophia's screams clearly. She was screaming something in Greek. Chiron sighed. "She is currently in a coma. She won't wake up until the cure is found."

"Which is..?" Percy demanded. Another scream filled the Big House. Chiron grimaced.

"That's the problem," Chiron admitted. "We don't know."

**Gasp! If chiron doesn't know, then it must be serious! Ahhhh! Read the next chapter and find out!**


	5. Chapter 5

**The prophecy shall be revealed this chapter! Tell me what you think! Until then, keep on writing!1**

"What do you mean by we don't know?" Percy demanded. Percy stood up, shaking with rage. "My sister is lying in her death bed! And you're telling me that I can't do anything about it?" Chiron raised a hand, and Percy's protests died down. Annabeth pulled Percy down, murmuring "Seaweed Brain" as she did so.

As for me, I was totally mindblown, and that's saying something. Usually, my thoughts spin so fast I can barely keep track of it. My ADHD didn't help much either. But now, I didn't know what to think. If the gods didn't know what poison could be this powerful, and they'd been around for a couple dozen millenia, then that's when you know you're screwed. Horribly screwed.

What could be strong enough to poison a god and his child? I thought gods were immortal. Nonetheless, Poseidon was fading and so was my sister. Eventually, even me. Athena's blessing could only protect me for so long before it wouldn't work any longer.

"Percy, patient," Chiron said placidly. "I can explain." He took a deep breath, leaning forward. "Poseidon's dormain was poisoned a week ago, right above his palace. At first, it didn't bug him, but the level of poison began to become more and more concentrated. At first, Poseidon was only sick, but now he's fading. He's currently bedridden on Mount Olympus. Apollo is doing everything he can to get rid of the poison, but it's even out of his power. Athena, Artemis, and Ares are hurrying to find a cure. Even Hades is looking in Tartarus for a match of the poison. Athena thought that the poison might be strong enough to even hurt Poseidon's children, and she was right. Instead of killing her though, it's putting her in insane amounts of pain, until it kills her. Apollo says that Poseidon has around two weeks left. If your father fades, though Zeus would never admit it, we would lose the war with Nemesis. Poseidon is the one chess piece critical for a smooth checkmate. Without it, victory is nearly impossible." There was a moment of awkward silence. What do you say after you learned your supposedly immortal father and your sister-slash-best friend are lying on the brink of death? I grimaced as Sophia's screams echoed through the camp. I knew that if it were me in Sophia's condition, she wouldn't hesitate to go to Tartarus and back for me. Last summer, she went to the Labyrinth, got tortured, and gods know what else because I was in trouble. I guess it was my turn. I turned to Chiron.

"So are you going to issue a quest for this or not?" I asked. It came out harsher than I meant it to. Chiron nodded.

"I'd rather you and Percy not go," he said, "so I could monitor your conditions-" Percy and I cut him off with various protests. He raised a hand, silencing us. "You didn't let me finish. But, knowing you two, you'd sneak out." He glanced at Percy knowingly and Percy's shoes suddenly became interesting to him. A camper told me that when Annabeth got kidnapped, Percy snuck out of camp to save her. I had to admit, that was valiant. Valiant, but impulsive and stupid.

"Melina, you will lead this quest. You may pick two companions." I glanced at Percy and Annabeth for their approval. They nodded.

"Annabeth and Percy," I said. Chiron nodded.

"Before you visit the Oracle, I offer you a quick word of wisdom. Nemesis needs you, Sophia, and Percy to raise Gaea, unless she finds a better idea. I would be cautious. I believe Nemesis poisoned Poseidon to lure you out of camp. Proceed with caution. Annabeth, if either of them begin to exibit weakness, be sure to contact me. Also, avoid the water at all costs." Percy and I both groaned. That power was _very_ convenient, and I didn't want to give it up. "Your powers may still be intact, but using them will weaken you, allowing the poison to spread quickly. That also includes your ability to stay dry." We nodded. "You will leave tomorrow at dawn. I will move Sophia to the infirmary. If you do find the cure, give it to the people who have been affected first then go to Olympus and feed it to Poseidon, then come here immediately and adminster the antidote to Sophia. I wish you guys luck on your quest. I suggest you go and prepare." We nodded and left for the Oracle. My mind was on overdrive, trying to piece together a strategy. Our time was extrememly limited, and we couldn't waste it on something that wouldn't result in a positive outcome. Still, we had a lot of ground to cover. Think, Melina. Where would the gods be limited in knowledge?

We reached the cave before I could finish piecing together a plan. My thoughts immediately diverted to the current prophecy.

Annabeth went to knock on the cave door, but before she could actually knock, Rachel opened the curtain.

Rachel and I haven't talked much. She's really close friends with Annabeth and Percy, but she creeps me out, constantly muttering something about a dark future ahead of me. I didn't want to know what she was talkimg about.

Her red, frizzy curly hair bounced around uncontrollably with every movement she made. A splash of freckles were the only color on her pale face, and her green eyes looked more hazel, unlike Percy's or Sophia's which were a very bright concentrated green. She nodded grimly as Sophia's screams echoed in the distance. Her little episodes were farther between, and I didn't know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Poor Sophia," Rachel said, closing her eyes as Sophia's screams got significantly louder. I watched as a tear went down Percy's cheek. He quickly hid it, not wanting anyone to see him breaking down, but I didn't blame him. Sophia _was_ his sister, and it was obvious how much they unconditionally loved each other. We jsut kind of stood there in that awkward silence, until Rachel grabbed me by the shoulders, green mist swirling around me.

_Three shall go to save the Lord of the Sea,_

_One shall grow weak, forced to flee,_

_A secret hidden will lead the way,_

_The unexpected will cause delay,_

_A lover's secret must one reveal,_

_For all three to survive the ordeal,_

Dark spots began to play in my vision as I swayed. A pair of strong arms caught me as I succumbed to unconsciousness.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey y'all! So what did you think of my prophecy? Sorry for the weird font on this one...I honest to ****gods**** can't figure it out. Let's hope this doesn't continue. You know the drill. On with the chapter!**

I really hated passing out

Not only was I totally vunerable to whatever could happen, but the feeling plain _sucks_. You know those days when you wake up, and yet, you're still insanely exhausted? That's what passing out feels like.

Anyways, I woke in a chair in the Big House beside Percy and Annabeth. I rubbed my eyes, trying to get rid of the fatigue I was feeling.

"We carried you down here," said Annabeth, answering my question before I asked it. Chiron was sitting across from us. It looked like they were waiting for me to wake up. Annabeth was polishing her knife which was mainly used on people who touched her stuff without permission or monsters. Right before the end of the summer last year, Malcolm had touched her laptop. Let's just say he was in the infirmary for a week. Percy sat beside Annabeth, watching her polish her knife intently. Annabeth sheathed the blade and we focused our attention on Chiron.

"I assume you have gotten a prophecy, correct?" Chiron asked. We all nodded.

"_Three shall go to save the Lord of the Sea,_

_One shall grow weak, forced to flee,_

_A secret hidden will lead the way,_

_The unexpected will cause delay,_

_A lover's secret must one reveal,_

_For all three to survive the ordeal,_" recited Annabeth from memory. She frowned. "Well, parts of it are obvious. _Three shall go to save the Lord of the Sea_. That's the three of us. _One shall grow weak, forced to flee._" She glanced at Percy and me, and I got the message. _It would be either me or Percy_. Percy wrapped his arms around Annabeth and kissed her hair.

"It'll be okay," Percy said. "We've survived tons of prophecies." Annabeth looked up at Percy, her expression pained.

"But what if this is your last one?" she asked. Percy held her tighter. I wanted to change the subject really badly. i didn't want to think of what would happen. Chiron got it before I could.

"It is late," he said. "You should go and get some sleep. I will be in the Poseidon cabin in fifteen minutes to move Sophia to the infirmary." We nodded, and I stood up, walking to my cabin. Percy decided to take Annabeth on a walk around camp, leaving me alone in the Poseidon cabin. I approached my comatose sister, removing the covers that were placed over her. Sophia was fairly short, only five feet tall, and was one of the shortest teenagers at camp. She was quiet now, obviously in a deep sleep, but it didn't seem peaceful. She was tense, her hands curled up in fists. She had a couple of strands of her wavy hair in her face, and I brushed them away. I examined her from head to toe. There had to be a clue as to what kind of poison this was, right? I saw something written on her hand and I flipped her palm over, reading the faded Greek handwriting.

**-Melina,**

**If something happened to me, open my suitcase, find my journal, and open to page 351. **

****Thoughts began swirling around my head as I read her palm over and over. So Sophia knew this was going to happen. But how? I opened her suitcase and rummaged through her clothes. My hands closed on something hard, and I pulled out Sophia's journal. Her journal was a hardcover, black book with sequins decorating it. The inside was full of music that she handwrote. I wonder how she could've written that with her dyslexia. The bottoms of the pages were numbered, and I hurriedly flipped to page 351. It was written in Greek, thankfully.

-**Melina,**

**If you have found this, then Nemesis has succeeded in her plans, thankfully for me, whose probably lying in a bed, nearly poisoned to death, if not already dead. Sometimes, I want to give Nemesis a piece of my mind, but would it be alright to give the goddess of Revenge, well, revenge? Ugh, stupid ironies.**

**Anyways, you're in for trouble.****_ Big trouble. _****She is using this to exploit one of our weaknesses. She said, in a dream, that either you or me has a weakness that she could use against us. Melina, ****_be careful._**** I don't want you getting hurt. As for what you should do, I would talk to Mr.D. I would've done it myself when I first came, but I don't have the same charisma that you do. You could literally get ****_anyone_**** to like you. Besides, if anyone knows anything about insane poisons and torture methods, it's him. Take my bracelet and Midnight. I'd feel better if you had them. Besides, my bracelet might make things easier. Listen, Mel, everything isn't what it seems. That is all I've figured out. Be careful.**_** Please.**_

I read the note one more time before ripping it out of the journal and putting it in my pocket. I'd need to show that to Annabeth and Percy later. I went to Sophia and reluctantly took off her ring and bracelet. It just seemed wrong to take them from her. People only take stuff off of other people when they died. I shook the thought away. _Melina, think positive_. Chiron interrupted my thoughts as he opened the door to my cabin. Sophia coughed, and her lips glistened red. Chiron saw that and his eyes widened. He cursed as he trotted over, picking Sophia up. "Chiron," I asked. "Where is Mr. D.?"

"In the strawberry fields. Why? Is there something wrong?" I shook my head.

"I just need to see him." Chiron raised an eyebrow, knowing I had an ulterior method, but he didn't push further. He turned around and left, carrying Sophia. I left my cabin, heading to the strawberry fields.

Oh, gods. This was going to be interesting.

**Clever Sophia, huh? Writing that on her hand? I feel bad for Melina. Tune in to next chapter to see if Melina can manage to weed out some information from Dionysus.**


	7. Chapter 7

**WHAT IS WITH THIS WEIRD FONT! AHHHH! Hahaha, hello guys! Writersmagnet here! Don't forget to review and follow me on Twitter as writersmagnet. You know the drill, Me no own PJ!**

**On wit ze story!**

One really important thing you need to know about Dionysus? He hates heroes.

The god of wine was standing in the strawberry fields, coaxing them to grow. It was dark, so all I could see was his sillouette, but there was no mistaking him. He had a huge beer- well, since he was the god of wine, wine- gut. He probably wore his usual Hawaiian shirt. He was sent to work here after he went after an off-limits wood nymph for the second time. He also was not allowed to drink wine while on his probation, which made him grumpy most of the time. He was probably suffering from alcohol withdrawal.

Anyways, I approached Mr. D. cautiously, not wanting to startle him. Who knows what Mr. D. does when he's startled? Maybe he vaporized the nearest demigod? Either way, I didn't want to take that chance.

"Melissa, I know you're there," he said without even turning around. I didn't even try to correct him on my name. I'd given up the first month of camp. Besides, that wasn't important right now. I pondered how to approach the question. Gods, what charisma was Sophia talking about.

"Hi," I said, nearly face-palming myself after I said that. "Well, anyways, as you know, Poseidon was poisoned-"

"Thank the gods," I say, let him die. Everything would be better if Barnacle Breath faded. You guys would die, and that would be less heroes to deal with." I tried to control my anger. I had to squeeze an answer out of this guy. I took a deep breath.

"If there was no water, there would be no wine. Do you want that, Dionysus?" I said as calmly as possible. Mr. D. let out a couple dozen Grecian curses as he glared at me, his eyes flashing murderously.

"Melina Porter, i can show you things that could make you wish you were dead. Do not anger me, Dionysus threatened, his voice lowered.

"You said my name right," I commented.

"I have never said such a thing, Minerva Potter." I sighed.

"Mr. D., do you have an idea as to what poisoned Poseidon? I asked.

"Do NOT ever bring that up again if you value your life!" Mr. D. roared. This was obviously a touchy topic, and in a flash of purple light, I found myself in the Poseidon cabin. Percy exited the shower a second after I'd been rudely teleported in.

"Where have you been?" Percy asked.

"I had to talk to Mr. D," I replied. I shoved the note in his hand. "When examining Sophia, I found some instructions written on her hand to go to her journal and flip to a certain page. On that page, I found this." I gave him the note, and he read it silently, shedding a tear as he finished. He read it more than once then collapsed on the bed, obviously devasted. He pulled out a picture from a nearby drawer. It was a fairly recent picture of him and Sophia at the beach. They were splashing each other, having a blast. Sophia had a genuine smile plastered on her face, something that was fairly rare. She always was either expressionless of had a grim look on her face; never a smile. Her auburn hair was still dry, a child of Poseidon thing, and she was in her regular clothes, almost like the beach trip was totally unplanned. Percy stood to the left of the picture, laughing and splashing her back. Percy traced the picture, a tear falling down his face. I sat beside him, not knowing exactly the best way to comfort him. I wasn't a very lovey-dovey type of person, and I tended to make situations like this worse. He really needed comforting though, so I awkwardly put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry," I said. "It'll be okay." He looked at me, his green eyes full of pain.

"I just learned I had a sister," he choked, "and now I lost her." I closed my eyes as the reality sunk in. Sophia could actually die. This was the real world. There wasn't always a happy ending. I thought of her, Sophia, the bubbily girl she usual was. How could that girl, full of life, end up so close to death in a matter of minutes, and if we didn't hurry, I'll end up being around the same. I stood up and began packing. That took about fifteen minutes. The last thing I dumped in there was a first-aid kit. It was an advanced one. I took a first aid class with Will Solace, one of the Apollo kids. I wasn't as good as Sophia, but I could do the basic stuff.

"Mel, you're going to need the sleep," he told me, pointing up at the clock. I cursed as I looked at the time. It was midnight. "I call lights out." I placed my bag of things beside of my bed, as my head hit the pillow, I fell into a demigod dream.

I was in a brightly lit library. It was huge, books lining the shelves around a circular dome. The middle was full of tables. Sunshine shown through stained glass windows, filling this library with color and life. It was neat and organized, every book in its correct place. In the middle of the room stood a woman I knew well. Her black hair was tied up in a messy bun, curly strands falling in her face. Her piercing grey eyes were cold and calculating. I could tell a million thoughts were whizzing through her brain at once. She wore a long Greek style dress and some sandals. Athena.

"Lady Athena," I said as I curtseyed. She waved for me to stand up.

"Melina Porter," she said, no emotion in her voice. "I am here to offer you some of my advice. I know you are troubled, but from what I've been able to calculate, this poison is something ancient, before even the Titans."

"But if it is before even the Titans, why hasn't it faded already? Doesn't something fade after we stop believing in it anymore?" Athena sighed.

"It evolved over time," Athena explained. "It was not just found in Greece. Since it evolved, it managed to stay alive over time and grow over time."

"Like the gods," I said. Athena nodded. "But what could be that old and forgotten that none of the gods could figure it out?" The dream flickered, like it had a bad connection.

"I cannot directly interfere with this quest," the goddess said, a regretful expression on her face. "I offer you two bits of advice. Look for the 'little crowned king'. Also, my essence can't save you forever. It will only slow it down for maybe a week. You saw how Sophia's weak state was nearly instantaneous? Yours and Perseus' will be slower than that. As for Poseidon, he has a little less than three weeks." The dream flickered more. "Zeus needs me. I must leave you. I wish you good luck on your quest, and you should awake now. Dawn has approached." Athena waved her hand and I woke up. Percy was looming over me, looking like he was probably going to wake me up that second. He stepped away as I sat up, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

The dream with Athena spurred a lot of thoughts. For one, why did she talk to me? Why not her daughter? And 'Little Crowned King'? As far as I knew, there were no 'little crowned kings' in Greek. The deadline she gave me hit me in the face. Three weeks? That was so little time! How can we be expected to find a cure to a poisom from a creature we didn't even know by then, especially if two-thirds of us were going to end up in a coma by then? My thoughts were abruptly cut off by Percy's voice.

"Melina," Percy said, "what are you thinking?" I shook the thoughts out of my head.

"What are you talking about?" I asked. Percy rolled his eyes; he caught me in my lie.

"You have the same calculating look Annabeth has when she's thinking hard," he said. "I'm going to guess that you didn't have a normal dream today. Do you want to talk about it?" I shook my head. I had to think about this for a bit first. I stood up and quickly took a shower, after which I tied my hair in a bun to keep it out of the way in case we encountered a monster. I strapped Star to my forearm and Moonlight, my sword, to my thigh. I made sure Midnight, Sophia's knife, was on the ring finger of my right hand for easy access. After Percy and I finished getting ready, we headed to Cabin Six, the Athena cabin, to get Annabeth. Annabeth was standing in fromt of her cabin, her blonde hair tied in a tight ponytail. She wore a black shirt that covered her arms and a pair of long jeans. She also wore a quiver on her back. She looked unarmed, but that was nowhere near true. Annabeth had her knife strapped to her arm, but had a lot of other weapons hidden on her as well. Her bow, made by the Hephaestus cabin, was strapped to the inside of her wrist, ready to expand the second she pulled an arrow from her quiver. Her sword was strapped underneath her shirt on her back. She also had a couple other backups cleverly conceal elsewhere. One time, she told me that she always had at least her knife on her at all times. Other times, she had at least three weapons on her. A daughter of Athena always had a backup plan, right?

She walked toward us. "Ready?" she asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I replied. She nodded. We went to the Big House where Chiron gave us some extra ambrosia for each of us as well as a canteen of nectar. Chiron saluted us off as we left Camp Half-Blood, Sophia's painful screams echoing in the distance.

Oh gods. This was going to be one hell of a quest.

**It will indeed, Melina. It will indeed.**


	8. Chapter 8

**You know? I'm starting to get really pissed at this weird font. If it's normal, do tell me. On my computer, it looks all stringy and weird. Now, let the quest begin! Y'all know the drill!**

Argus dropped us off at the nearest city which just happened to be Manhattan. The car ride was silent, allowing me to my thoughts, which were, again, whirring around faster than I could comprehend. The prophecy kept echoing in my head. _One shall grow weak, forced to flee._ Flee? Flee as in 'flee', or flee as in 'die'? And weak how? Mentally? Physically? _For all three to survive the ordeal._ Is the prophecy implying that not all of us would make it out alive? Oh gods. Please, no.

I twisted Midnight around my finger. I hated variables. Sure, they were fun working with when the only penalty for getting it wrong was a computer problem or a wrong math problem. But when the variable was the death of someone, that's when things get difficult. One mistake could cost someone their life.

The car jerked to an abrupt halt, and we thanked Argus, exiting the car. We were in Central Park, or at least, that's what the signs said. I was a Jersey girl, not a Yankee. I followed Annabeth and Percy to a nearby bench.

"Here's the plan," Annabeth began. Oh right. Daughter of Athena _always_ had a plan.

"We roam around until we find something?" asked Percy. Annabeth and I rolled our eyes. Oh, Percy. How in the gods is he my half-brother?

"We'll never get anything done that way," I commented. "Poseidon has only about three weeks left, Sophia probably sooner." Annabeth studied me analytically. I got used to this stare. Even since she found out her mother had blessed me, she constantly did that.

"How do you know that," asked Annabeth.

"Athena," I said. I told them about my dream. When I mentioned the "Little Crowned King," Annabeth's gaze darkened. She was thinking hard.

"That's strange," Annabeth admitted. "King in Greek is _baleus_, but that makes no sense. Little crowned _baleus_? It just makes no sense."

"Well, couldn't it be an acronym for something?" I asked. Annabeth shook her head.

"That's not Athena's style. It's supposed to be a riddle."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Percy said. "From what I understand, we have at most a week before the poison hits either me or Melina. Shouldn't we quit dwelling on the riddle and actually get to looking?" I sighed; he had a point.

"There where should we start?" I asked. I mean, we literally had the entire United States to check out. We had to narrow it down somehow or we'd never find it in time. I looked at the park, seeing without comprehending.

I was lost in thought until cold hands grabbed my neck and began to squeeze.

***gasp* Cliffy! I really love torturing you guys! It's fun! Now y'all going to have to wait until the next chapter!**


	9. Chapter 9

**You know what I like about writing? I'm in charge of whatever happens, so in the following chapters, I get to be a little Aphrodite! Oh ****gods****, this is going to be fun! Poor Melina is going to murder me. Haha. So y'all know the drill, and check this chappy out!**

I struggled, trying to push the person off me. The person was strong; his grip didn't move. I closed my eyes_, _convinced this was my end. I wasn't going to die valiantly in battle. I was going to die because some bastard decided to sneak up on me and choke me to death. I was blessed by Athena. I should be able to think of a way to get out of this! Panic gripped me, and for the first time in my life, I couldn't think. Dark spots began appearing in my vision. The grip around my neck slackened, and I gulped the air gratefully, holding on to consciousness. After a minute, the need to pass out faded. I turned around to find Annabeth and Percy wrestling the guy to the ground.

I hurried over to the guy and took Star out of my pocket, pointing the tip at the man's throat. I knew the Celestial Bronze couldn't hurt him, but he didn't know that.

"Wait!" the man said. "I only meant to pull a prank on you guys! I have a message from your father!" I hesitated for a moment. Was this guy for real? I took a closer look at the homeless guy. The face looked familiar. A memory clicked.

"Apollo?" I asked. He quickly shushed me, looking up at the sky nervously. He apprently didn't want Zeus to hear. Annabeth and Percy let go of the incognito god, staring at him suspiciously. Apollo stood up, breaking into a grin. "You should've seen the look on your _face!_ I need a haiku for this, one second." Percy groaned.

"Please, Apol-_Fred_," Percy begged. "Not now!" Apollo held up one hand dramatically and cleared his throat.

_"I scared Melina to death,_

_She wants to kill me badly now,_

_But I'm too awesome."_ Oh gods. I see why Percy objected to the haikus. For the god of poetry, Apollo sucked. But Apollo was right. I would've killed him if he weren't a god.

"So what's the message?" asked Annabeth. Apollo smiled sadly, something that looked unnatural on him.

"Poor Uncle P.," Apollo began. "That poison is really taking a toll on him. As for the message, he told me to tell you that Nemesis is stalking your every move. She has a trap set up for the-" Apollo hesitated. "-_three_ of you. He said something about Annabeth remembering Egypt." Apollo looked at the three of us sadly. "As for me, I offer you this: look for my son, Asclepius. He might be able to give you a lead." Thunder rumbled over us, and Apollo smiled sadly. "Avert your gaze," he commanded. The three of us averted our eyes to the god's true form. A god's true form could incinerate us if we saw it.

When the flash disappeared, I removed my hand from my eyes. Annabeth and Percy did the same.

"Egypt?" I asked.

"Trap?" asked Annabeth.

"Apollo's son?" Percy inquired.

The three of us stood there in an awkward silence, each of us lost in our own train of thought. What could Egypt have to do with a 'Little Crowned King'? I sucked at history for the most part, but I could vaguely remember something about the Lower Egypt having a crown smaller than the Upper part. Could it be that? Something in the back of my mind told me we were going the wrong direction, but if that were the case, then what was the _right_ direction? Besides, what did Egypt and Greece have in common, besides being two very powerful empires with beliefs in different gods.

Wait a second. _Different gods?_ Weren't Greek gods evolved from Egyptain gods? The pieces of my thoughts began to fit into place.

"Guys..." I began, slowly piecing together every bit of supporting details into place. "Athena mentioned something about how this poison came from a creature that had evolved over time. Well, the gods had evolved over time. As time went on, starting with Egypt, they became Greek, then Roman, then Norse, and just kept changing even more. What if what we're looking for is something that managed to live from Egypt through now?"

"That makes sense," Percy commented. "But what is it?" I shrugged my shoulders.

"I'm still working on that." I glanced at Annabeth. "But for now, I think we should find Asclepius."

"But where is that?" Percy asked. "He could be anywhere in the U.S.!"

"Then we should start looking," Annabeth retorted. "Besides, I think I may know where he is. Come on, it's only two blocks from here."

**Asclepius? The god of medicine? Tune in next chapter! You'll get to see some Leophia!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Writersmagnet is back! Just like I promised, this chapter will have some Leophia. You know the drill. Check this next chapter out!**

I followed Annabeth sort of absentmindedly as she led us through the winding streets of Manhattan. I was tense for no apparent reason. I had a really bad feeling about something, but I couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was. Something about the Apollo attack seemed somewhat fake...almost like Nemesis staged it. But she couldn't have, right? She couldn't have that much influence over Apollo. After all, Apollo was a major god compared to her. Still, something didn't seem right.

We stopped in front of a really run-down shack. The sign on the building was faded, but it was in English, which, with my dyslexia, looked something like:

**MEAOG HRPMAYAC**

****"What does that say?" asked Percy.

"I don't know," replied Annabeth, frustrated. Since Annabeth loved to read so much, I often forgot that she was dyslexic as well. I concentrated hard on the sign for a minute then averted my gaze quickly, something I picked up when I needed help with my script in musical practice. It worked, and the letters rearranged themselves into something that actually made sense:

**OMEGA PHARMACY**

Something seemed fishy about this though. Sure, Asclepius was the god of medicine so it made sense he was in a pharmacy, but this seemed too easy. Like we were being set up. My strategic senses were on overdrive, scanning everything for a possible threat.

"You two go in," I told Annabeth and Percy. Percy was our best fighter, but Annabeth would never let Percy go alone. Besides, those two together are undefeatable. I drew Moonlight. "I'll stay here in case you need backup." The two of them nodded, noticing my unease but not questioning it. They probably realized I had a weird feeling about this. The two of them entered the run-down place while I pulled a drachma out of my pocket. I wanted to contact Camp. I figured if I listened to Sophia rambles, it might give us clues as to what the poison is.

I walked to a nearby pond and concentrated hard on the water, willing it to become a mist. I knew Chiron said that I shouldn't use my water powers unless necessary, but if I did learn something from Sophia's ramblings, then I could find the cure sooner. The water ignored my first attempt. I sighed. I was never good at manipulating the water to my will. I tried again, working really hard. Again, nothing. _Poseidon_ I begged, _A little help here?_ A strength surged through me and a mist formed in front of me. I thanked Poseidon as I threw my drachma in the water. "O goddess, accept my offering. Show me-" I hesitated. Who would I contact?The answer hit me plain in the face. "-Leo at Camp Half-Blood." An image appeared in the mist. The son of Hephaestus was kneeling beside Sophia's bed, stroking her hair and murmuring comforting things. The scene would've been pretty cute, if Sophia wasn't in the middle of one of her episodes. Sophia no longer screamed, but she murmured and tears would leak from the corner of her eyes. It hurt to see my best friend like this, but I put the thoughts aside knowing that worrying wasn't going to help her. I had to find a cure, not just for her, but for Percy, Poseidon, me, and whoever else was affected by the poison.

As she calmed down, Leo kissed her forehead and turned around to see the Iris-Message.

"Hey, Melina," he said. He glanced at Sophia. "Any luck?"

"Not really," I told him. "We've gotten_ a _lead though. How is Sophia? Has she said anything weird?" He averted his gaze to look at her. I wasn't a daughter of Aphrodite, but it was so obvious how much he cared for her.

"It's terrible," he replied, his voice soft. "She says these things...it's just terrible. Sometimes, she goes into graphic detail about what Nemesis is doing to her. The poison itself is causing her pain, but Nemesis comes and tortures her on top of that. She can't tell dream from reality; she's convinced what's going on in her dream is what's happening in real life. She even feels the pain from Nemesis's whip or whatever Nemesis happens to be using on her. Her episodes got so bad that she would hurt herself during them. Chiron, Will, and I had to tie her down to the bed so she would't move." I took a closer look at Sophia and saw bruises on her face, probably from hitting herself. Will seemed to have healed the majority of them for all the bruises looked somewhat faded, but they hadn't totally disappeared. I hadn't noticed it earlier, but Leo was right; her arms and legs were tightly tied down to the bed.

"Ouch," was my very eloquent response to that. I didn't know what to say. I really stunk at very serious moment retorts. Plus, what _would_ you say to that.

Leo grimly nodded, his mouth in a thin line. "Yeah. You should try listening to her." As if on cue, Sophia's screams resumed. Leo hurried to comfort her.

"YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS!" Sophia screamed, trying hard to break the restraints. "THE GODS WILL CATCH YOU!" She let out an ear-piercing shriek. Leo had a wet cloth and was dabbing it on her forehead. "_Baleus, baleus,"_ Sophia murmured as her hoarse screams died down. Baleus? That's what Annabeth said 'king' was in Ancient Greek. Why is that so significant? Leo turned around and came over to the message.

"Yeah," he said. "That's what she's been mumbling all day. 'Baleus'. King. I have no idea what it means, but it's obviously important. Hey, Melina, can I ask you something?" Leo asked the last question uncertain, like he was debating whether or not to tell me.

"Sure," I replied. "What do you need?" Leo flushed a bright red. He glanced at Sophia, and his expression softened.

"I really like Sophia," Leo began, nervously running his hand through his hair.

"Don't say any more," I told him. "Go for it." A nervous smile appeared on his lips that disappeared after half a second.

"Please hurry," he said as the Iris-Message began to fade. "I can't bear to see her like this." I nodded and swiped my hand through the disappating mist. I turned around to find Percy and Annabeth running toward me. Both of them looked like they went to hell and back, especially Annabeth. Her clothes were torn and covered in blood. She had cuts everywhere. Percy, having his Achille's curse, had only torn clothes.

"Whoa," I said. "What happened?"

"Not important," Annabeth said, waving it off. "We have to go to the Underworld. _Stat_."

**The Underworld? *gasp* Tune in next chapter!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Omg. APHRODITE TIME! Haha, we'll see. You know the drill. On with the chapter!**

Whoa. That totally came out of nowhere.

My head was spinning. The _Underworld?_ Why the Underworld? Couldn't we go to a more cheery place, like Great America or something? But _nooo!_ We just _had_ to go to the Land of the Dead and manage to escape _alive_. This was going to be interesting.

"What did Asclepius say?" I asked. "Why do we have to go to the Underworld?" Percy and Annabeth exchanged uneasy glances. I know Percy and Annabeth have been to the Underworld at least once, and it was probably _not_ a fun experience.

"Asclepius said that whatever poison it was came from a creature older than the gods," explained Percy, "but he wouldn't give us much more information than that. He said the venom of the mosnter has to be in the cure."

"Like the antivenom for snakes," I commented. "So we're looking at a recipe sort of thing for the cure?" Percy nodded.

"He says he knows what is needed in the cure," interjected Annabeth, "but won't tell us unless we can get his girlfriend back from the Underworld." My mind was spinning. I knew my Greek myths pretty well, and I was very positive that Asclepius didn't have a lover, but I didn't question it. I was pretty sure that he was nearly blasted to bits by Zeus for bringing someone back from the dead for money.

"Why doesn't Zeus just force him to give Poseidon the cure?" I asked. Thunder rumbled, and I nervously took a sideways step. Zeus might've missed the first time he tried to fry me, but I doubt he'd miss this time. Annabeth and Percy shrugged their shoulders as I sighed. This quest was going to be longer than I thought.

"Why are you guys all beat up?" I asked.

"Asclepius doesn't like visitors. He has traps set up for them, the little sadist," said Annabeth, wincing. Percy put an arm around her protectively.

"So...out of curiousity, where in the gods is the Underworld?"

"Los Angeles is the main entrance," said a voice from behind me "But there are other ones if you know where to look." I turned around.

There stood the figure of someone I've only heard about. Nico DiAngelo, son of Hades.

**Nico! Yesh! I've been waiting to put this guy in there! Next chapter!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Writersmagnet here, coming to you from PANEM! No, haha, I wish, you Hunger Games people. Nope. Well, anyways, here's Chapter 12! Y'all know the drill! Just an FYI, THIS SERIES WILL BE A TRILOGY! It's pretty early to tell you guys, especially since I'm guessing this story will have at least 25 Chapters, probably a little more. It will probably be longer than Sophia (wordwise) just because of the twists and the complexity of the plot. Besides, guys,face it, Sophia was not the best written thing even until maybe when the quest started. Then it got better. I'm determined to make this less straightforward than Sophia. **

**Damn, Writersmagnet (I almost wrote my name there, oops!). Long author's note. Just give them the damn chapter!**

**Here it is!**

Behind me stood my half-cousin, Nico Di Angelo.

I've never met Nico before. He rarely stayed at camp because he didn't fit in. Hades wasn't exactly the most popular god on the council. He wore all leather and black, reminding me strangely of one the the Hunters I'd met that winter; Thalia Grace. He had messy black hair that fell in her black eyes. This heavily contrasted his pale complexion. He was taller than me by a good four or five inches, and as he walked closer, I could feel my skin itch from his powerful aura. He radiated death, quite literally.

Percy cracked a grin and walked up to Nico, fist-bumping. "Hey, dude!" Percy greeted. "How's the Underworld going?" Nico's smile disappeared, turning grim, a look he probably wore a lot.

"It's terrible down there," Nico explained. "Dad is driving himself crazy trying to find a cure for Poseidon, mainly because Zeus would murder him if he didn't. I heard from a couple of ghosts that the poison is bad enough to even kill his kids so I thought I'd drop by and make sure you weren't dead or anything." Percy turned grim.

"Yeah, my sister Sophia has been affected," said Percy, his voice shaking. The bond between him and Sophia was pretty strong. They seem to complete each other. Not the way Annabeth completes Percy, but more of a sisterly way. It was nice to see. "This is Melina," he continued, gesturing to me. I waved. "She's also Poseidon's daughter, but she was blessed by Athena." Nico laughed, another reaction I got a lot.

"That is the nicest thing Athena has ever done to Poseidon since the chariot," Nico snorted. I rolled my eyes. All guys are the same. "Nice to meet you, Melina."

"Likewise," I replied, shaking his hand. His hand was freezing cold, but I wasn't surprised. He _was_ Hades' son, after all.

"So I hear you need a ride to the Underworld?" Nico asked. We nodded. "I'm the guy for the job. But we'll need to be careful. I don't know how kindly Dad will take to the living to the Underworld, even if it is for Poseidon."

"Yeah," I commented. I felt like this discussion was delaying the time we had. The sonner we found the cure, the better. "So how are we going to get down there without attracting Hades' attention?" Percy and Nico simultaneously said.

"Orpheus's entrance."

**Yep, the music guy. Anyone remembered how he died? Jealous little nymphs -_-... Anyways tune into next chapter!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Writersmagnet here! Hi! I love you all, did I ever tell you that? Well, I love you guys! Anyways, here's Chapter 13! Y'all know the drill!**

You know, if you had told me that I was going to go to the Underworld, I would've said something like "yeah, when I die." Never in a million years would I have even _thought_ that I would go to the Underworld and come back during my LIFETIME.

Nico led us through the twisting and turning streets of New York into a nearby alley. My thoughts were very similar to the twists and turns of my thoughts. My thoughts were a mini-New York. Funny.

I was worried about that one line in the prophecy. _One shall grow weak, forced to flee._ The fact that we were going to the Underworld with this line in the prophecy not already settled made me uneasy. Would it happen in the Underworld? Would someone die? Is that what they meant by _flee_?

What scared me more? What if it were _me?_ Think about it. I've stayed up all night working on battle strategies one time last year in camp. Sophia doesn't even _talk_ in her sleep, much less scream comprehending words. Also, if Chiron's right, which he probably was, knowing him, Sophia is in excruciating pain. Last year, when I was capturedby Nemesis, I was tortured . At one point, it was seemingly unbearable, but it could've been worse. What if I wouldn't be able to bear it and I died before Percy and Annabeth could find and make the antidote?

I shook my head. _Melina, think optimistic_, I told myself. Still, that thought pressed on my mind with a coldness that would've made even Nemesis shudder.

Nico led us to a crack in the wall of a nearby alley. He turned to Annabeth and me. "You're going to need some music. Anyone here can sing? Or maybe have an instrument on them?" Annabeth crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm a strategist," she countered. "Not a singer." All eyes came on me. I sighed. Thank the gods I was in musicals.

"I was in musicals with Sophia," I told them. The mention of her name made Percy wince. I decided it'd be smart to not bring up her name again. I laughed drily. "She forced me to do them. I ended up liking them." I turned to the crack and began to sing. The crack slowly widened, and by the time I stopped singing, the crack had widened enough for the three of us to enter.

We ducked into the entrance and entered the Underworld, the land of the dead.

**Ouch! The Underworld isn't a fun place. Well, I've figured out who that line Melina ponders will be about! Anyways, any of you guys read the Mark of Athena? I murdered it the day it came out! Amazing book! YOU GO RICK!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey, guys! I'm here! Sorry for the delay! I was sick. Well, y'all know the drill and here's Chapter 14**

The Underworld is dark.

No, really, I swear. It was literally pitch black. I couldn't see a thing in front of me. I drew my sword, Moonlight. The celestial bronze gave off a light bright enough to see. Nico's pale face was facing me. He wasn't bother by the dark at all. It was probably a son of Hades thing.

"Come on, guys," he whispered harshly. "There's a long flight of stairs that lead to the bottom. Watch your step." I glanced behind me. Percy and Annabeth also had their weapons out in order to see. I was surprised no ghosts had noticed us yet. We were a huge beacon of light in the middle of the dark, for the gods' sakes. I found this insanely weird. Could this be a trap?

My brain fumbled for pieces to support my assumption. There was Apollo. Why would he even think about strangling me? He did act a little out of character. Then there was Asclepius. What kind of god traps their territory?

I glanced over my shoulder at Annabeth to see if perhaps she had put the pieces together. From the dim light of her blade, I could tell she was being cautious, but that could just be the fact that we were in the Underworld. I don't know how much Hades would appreciate us entering his realm and sneaking a ghost out, and I didn't want him to find out. I figured being in his realm for more than thirty seconds without being fried was a good omen.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Annabeth whispered in my ear. I nearly jumped. I had been so lost in my own thoughts that I hadn't even notice her sneak beside me We exchanged glances, her look confirming my assumption.

"Yeah," I whispered her. Her mouth pressed into a thin line. "We can't do anything about it though. What if he alerts the dead? We can't take that risk. Plus, I want to see what his plan is first. Right now, we have the element of surprise. We can't let him figure out we're suspicious. Let's wing it for the meanwhile, then we can talk more about this when we have more privacy. Tell Percy though." She nodded, obviously not liking the idea of having to abstain for the time being.I stumbled at the last step, falling. I braced myself for the impact on the stone, but I was stopped by a pair of strong arms. I looked up to see who caught me.

It was Nico. He looked...different. Like a soft side of him had shined through. The grim, shy side shell cracked, showing me an innocent boy who lost everything he ever held dear. He wanted acceptance, love, all the good things he never got. He really was a good person, just constantly rejected. He never fit in. He just wanted someone to accept him for who he was.

I guess I must've been staring at him for too long, since I could feel his arms tense. I stood up, blushing.

"Thanks," I told him.

"No problem," Nico replied turning around. I followed him as Percy fell in step beside me. He raised an eyebrow and pretended to faint. I glared at him. I didn't have a crush on Nico. I'd only known him for ten minutes! "Come on," he urged to the three of us. "We have maybe fifteen minutes before Dad notices something's up. Who are you looking for?" Annabeth and Percy glanced at each other.

"Asclepius's wife," Percy said. He scratched his head, thinking hard. He turned to Annabeth. "Whp's his wife again?"

"He had two," Annabeth stated. "Epione and Aristodama. Epione is a goddess, so I'm guessing we're looking for Aristodama."

"Aristodama?" Percy said, confused. "Isn't that some Ancient Greek philosopher dude?" He pronounced the word 'philosopher' the same way a kindergartener would with a popsicle stick in their mouth.

"No, Percy, that was _Aristotle_," Annabeth clarified, "and he was a _guy, _not a lady." I rolled my eyes. Percy is smart, but sometimes, he's just stupid. Good thing he had Annabeth watching his back.

"So where would we find Aristodama?" I asked Nico. He thought about it for a moment, then sighed.

"I can usually feel where spirits are," he said, "but this one's a weird one. I'm drawing a blank. It's almost like she doesn't exist." Annabeth and I exchanged glances. Asclepius was setting us up. He wants us to waste time. Nico grimaced uncomfortably.

"There is somewhere else she could be," Nico said hesitantly. He shuddered. Annabeth and I exchanged glances again, a lump of fear forming in both of our throats. We knew what he was talking about, and we didn't like it.

"Where?" Percy asked. Nico closed his eyes, obvious dreading the word he was going to say next.

"Tartarus."

**Ohhh! Cliffy!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey, guys! I was going to make this all one chapter, but I had to split it in order to get this chapter out on time! I'm on a new schedule, and now I release something every Friday unless I can write two chapters in a week! I hope you like this, and y'all know the drill!**

**By the way, I DO ACCEPT ANONYMOUS REVIEWS! YOU DON'T NEED AN ACCOUNT TO REVIEW!**

_Tartarus?_

A billion thoughts ran through my mind. Tartarus was where the old Titans and mythological creatures reformed or were kept. Not only that, but it was also where the truly damned souls were found. The ADHD part of me wondered what terrible things you had to do in life to be shut up in-quite literally- a _hellhole_ for the rest of eternity.

My shock slowly morphed into terror. Gaea was kept sleeping in Tartarus. We'd be walking straight into her lair. Not only that, but she probably had all her followers down there. What did Gaea have planned for us?

A cold realization hit me. No human had ever gone down there and come out _alive_. Even the gods avoided the place. What could be so terrifying and gruesome that it could horrify even the _gods_?

I took a deep breath, trying to keep all my feelings in check. Sophia made it look so easy, but I've always had quite a hard time with it.

"Right, so now we have to go to the depths of hell, find a single damned soul in the midsts of billions, convince the soul to trust us, and get the Zeus out of there without being captured by Gaea or caught by Hades?" They all nodded. I sighed.

"Sophia would do it if it were one of us." Percy said quietly, holding back some tears. We all grew quiet at the mention of my half-sister. Memories flooded my mind. I remembered how one of the few times she'd actually smile was when she was playing piano. The music brought her into another world, where nothing but her imaginary world she was trying to express through the music existed. She was a totally different person then, like her worries disappeared as she entered another world.

I hadn't noticed the tears until Nico wiped his thumb across my cheek, catching the crystal tears before they streaked my pale face.

"Don't worry," he told me. "She's a daughter of Poseidon. Water, when given time, will overcome any barrier, even the strongest of rock." He put a hand on my shoulder. "Now, come on," Nico urged. "Tartarus is this way." He led us through the Underworld. I wasn't really paying attention to where we were going. My thoughts were zipping. Part of me was thinking about Sophia, another part was trying to figure out the prophecy, another was weighing our options for Tartarus, and one was trying to figure this entire quest out.

Nico stood beside me. He was taller than me by about three inches, but he looked much taller. He wasn't exactly buff, but he had some muscle under his black T-shirt and leather jacket. His skin looked like it was supposed to be slightly tanned once upon a time, but lack of sun rendered his skin pale. His sword, three feet of some sort of black metal, was sheathed at his waist. It radiated death, and I knew one touch from that sword could kill me if Nico allowed it. His hair was straight, black and unruly, falling a centimeter past his eyes, and he kept blowing his hair out of his face. His eyes were a dark brown, almost black, and they had a sort of dark maturity about them. His eyes held mysteries, almost daring me to try and piece together the soul of his very being. I didn't know whether it was the Athena in me talking or what, but I wanted to figure him out.

He noticed me staring, and he raised an eyebrow. I blushed and looked down at my feet. I felt a sort of strange attraction toward Nico. I didn't know why. Then it hit me. _I had a crush on Nico_.

"Curse you, Aphrodite," I breathed under my breath. I couldn't fall in love. That'd give me an Achilles Heel I didn't want to have. Gaea already knew Percy and Sophia's fatal flaws and weaknesses, and I didn't want to make it easy for her to find mine. Looking at Nico though, I couldn't deny the fact that I liked him. But I wasn't going to tell Percy that. He'd never shut up about it.

We reached Tartarus. The pit was in the middle of nowhere. I felt a strong pull, almost like the tunnel was trying to suck me. I was sure that if I got close enough, it would. As we neared it, I felt a cold chill of dread crawl up my spine, probably foreshadowing the things in that pit. Nico seemed unphased by all this while the three of us were shivering in fear. Nico turned to us, his expresssion grim.

"We need to jump," he told us. "It's the easiest way down there. As for how do we get out...well..we'll have to figure it out as we go." I grimaced. I didn't like that idea. I always liked a real plan. So much could go wrong if we winged it. I sighed; there wasn't anything I could do. I had to trust Nico on this one.

"Wouldn't we splatter upon impact though?" asked Percy. "That's a long drop down." I hadn't thought of that. Percy had a point. It would be a good idea if we ended up on the bottom without all our guts spraying everyone. That's not my preferred method of death.

"Just trust me," Nico said. He must've seen the uncertainty in my eyes for he held out his hand for me.

"Do you trust me?" he asked, looking at me with intent. His gaze was so hypnotizing, I felt my legs grow weak. I grasped his hand. His thick, callused hand was surprisingly warm, and fit perfectly into my thin and slender hand.

"Yeah," I told him, not breaking my gaze. "I trust you." He released a small smile, one that quickly disappeared. He led me to the edge of Tartarus and we jumped, not letting go of each others' hand.

Now, you'd think I was probably thinking about dying as I fell.

In reality, I was freaking out. My mind drew a complete blank as I plummetted fast enough to break the sound barrier.

Amazingly, Nico and I managed to hold hands the entire way down. I felt my descent slow and I hit the ground with a small thud on the floor. Nico and I got tangled together, and we rushed to untangle ourselves and draw our weapons. Instinctively, I pressed Sophia's ring, and Midnight grew in my hand. Annabeth and Percy fell down beside us and mirrored our motions. We could see, but only from the lights of our blades. Everything was eerily quiet, and it made me uneasy, like the calm before a storm.

I scanned my surroundings, and then, deciding it was safe, pressed the trident on the knife, causing the blade to return into ring form. It was basically like the labyrinth, and we were in one of the clearings right before it broke off into paths. The catch? The entire thing was afloat like in some sort of cave. All I could see below the rock supporting us was darkness. There were two, sidewalk thin walkways and each lead away from the clearing and into a dark tunnel.

I glanced at Nico expectantly. He was the expert on all dark and Underworldly stuff. This was his turf, not mine, and I was totally comfortable with handing him the reins. He was frowning, using the tip of his sword to scratch his chin.

"This is weird," he muttered. He turned to the three of us. "I can usually feel spirits, but I'm not feeling them like I usually do. It's like a strange...pull. I don't like it. It seems dangerous." He was obviously disturbed. Percy bradished his sword, his muscles tensing.

"Let's do this," he said, determined. Annabeth put a tender hand on his shoulders, probably feeling the tense muscles of his shoulder.

"Percy, you may be invunerable, but we're not," she reasoned. "Besides, you have to remember, we have no clue what is down here besides Mother Eartth." She shot Nico and I a look, and I got the message. _Do not say Gaea's name here_. I nodded. She turned back to Percy. "Seriously. We cannot get distracted. Now let's find Asclepius's wife and get the Zeus out of here before Hades catches us." I turned to Nico.

"That pull is a lead if not anything else," I said. "Lead us, Sacagawea." Nico glared at me, and I laughed. He trudged forward, following the left path. I fell in step beside him, Percy and Annabeth behind us. We all had our weapons drawn, me specifically had my sword, Moonlight, out. A knife was good for close quarters, but I wanted the distance. I wanted to be able to kill whatever would be shot at me before it turned into an immediate threat. Soon, the little path turned into a cave. Nico stopped walking abruptly, and I prepared for battle.

"What?" I asked Nico.

"Can you hear that?" he whispered, pointing up. The three of us strained to listen. I could hear a vague, high pitched sound. I concentrated and realized it was screaming. Our cautiousness was quicly discarded as we ran toward the sound.

As we got closer, I began to recognize the screams. They were pain-filled shrieks, like a dying animal. After a few more minutes of running, we saw a speck of light. The tunnel was ending, and the screeches were coming from it. The screams were much louder now, and they easily concealed the sound of our footsteps. The sound made my blood run cold and recognition flooded through me. I knew that scream. It was one I'd heard many times in the past. Annabeth stopped us.

"Let's be careful," she cautioned. She hadn't recognized the voice yet. I glanced at Percy. The recognition hadn't hit his face either. "We don't know what's down there. This could be a trap." None of us disagreed, and we began to edge toward the light carefully in case someone was there.

Now that I recognized the screams, I didn't want to look and see the scene that would unfold in front of me. I knew, the second Percy saw the scene, his fatal flaw would kick in, and Annabeth would have to keep him in check. That would leave me and Nico to fight whatever would be there, even if it was an army. Those were odds I didn't want to have.

One thing's for sure: Nemesis was behind this. We reached the light, and I could see everything clearly. I was surprised at the sight.

Everything looked like it was made of solid obsidian. It was a long corridor, with fluorescent light bulbs hanging from the ceiling by cords, each one about ten feet from the next. The hall was thin, barely enough for two people to stand next to each other shoulder to shoulder. Nico and I advanced first, swords drawn. The walls of the hall, I realized, were not walls. They were _prisons_. The windows into each cell were glass, but it was obvious it was enchanted or something. Each cell contained a creature or Titan, each one scarier than the next. They were all asleep, but they stirred as we walked by, and I noticed that our aura and scent could be strong enough to wake these guys up. We passed a huge spider in a cell, and Annabeth froze in fear. I sighed. Spiders did give me a slight scare, since I was blessed by Athena, but most of the Athena cabin was terrified to death by them. Percy grabbed Annabeth and slowly led her away. The screams got louder as we continued down the corridor, ad I had to force myself to keep my face blank. The others hadn't discerned the familiarity of the voice making the screams, and I didn't want to frighten them. Especially Percy. If we were to use the element of surprise, Percy's anger might just ruin it. I couldn't let that happen.

This prison seemed to go on forever. I stopped looking at the prisoners as they got more gruesome and scary. I knew Nemesis was leading us here probably to release these creatures as a trap, but there was no way I could disable that. I'd have to fight through them. Finally, the corridor reached an end with a door. The screams were so loud, the four of us had our hands over our ears.

I grasped the doorknob, suspicious. This was too easy. This was obviously a trap, but, again, I had no choice but to walk into this one. i hated being helpless. Ugh.

I slowly turned the doorknob, and opened to door. Inside, in the corner, was the person making the screams.

It was Sophia.

**I'm so sadistic. Poor Sophia. Tune in next chapter to find out what's going on? I mean, shouldn't Sophia be in a coma at Camp Half-Blood!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey y'all! I felt slightly bad for the cliffy at the of Chapter 15, so I decided to publish this chapter early! There should be an update on Friday as well. Think of this chapter as a treat. This was the longest chapter** **I've written for this story, and maybe even the longest chapter I've ever written for ****_both_**** Sophia and Melina. I edited the crap out of this chapter, and this chapter actually made me make MAJOR changes to the story line. Now I'm not sure whether this will be a trilogy anymore. It might be a quadrilogy (I'm hoping that's a word) because of this major plot change. You'll like it. At least, I hope you do. Well, you know the drill, and I love you guys!**

**See ya Friday (or maybe sooner) and don't forget to REVIEW! And again, if you like what you read, follow me on Twitter at writersmagnet. You can even email me at writersmagnet ! Without out further adieu, here's the long awaited Chapter 16! You know the drill!**

Sophia was in _terrible _condition. I had to keep my emotions in check in order to be able to strategically process this.

She was curled up in the corner of a cage, the corner of it propping her up. She was wearing what was once a white robe, stained with crimson. One arm was bent awkwardly, and I could tell it was broken. She was clutching her leg in agony with her good arm. There was a long, deep gash running down her leg. It was bleeding quite profusely. Her other leg was obviously broken in at least two places. She had a huge gash across her neck that was bleeding pretty badly, but that one didn't seem totally life threatening. She had multiple cuts and bruises, some of the cuts looking deep enough for stiches. On a nearby table, a couple of bloodstained knives and whips were lying there. Nemesis was no where to be found.

Something clicked. _This was why Sophia was screaming,_ I thought. _Nemesis had been torturing her here. _My anger and distaste at the goddess increased exponentially.

Percy, for one, rushed to his sister's aid. He tried to comfort her, pulling out some bandages from his pack as he opened the unlocked cage. Sophia's screams just got louder.

"STOP!" she screamed. "YOU'RE NOT PERCY! GET AWAY FROM ME!"

Great. Sophia's delusional.But looking at her, I couldn't blame her. When I was tortured, it was nowhere near this acute. Again, my anger boiled, but I fought with it, pushing it back. I had to be able to think rationally. I didn't want to make a rash decision.

Percy tried to bandage her leg wound, but his hand passed right through her. He yelped; he hadn't expected that.

"Percy," I said calmly while I knelt beside my half-brother. I won the fight with my anger, but just barely. I refused to let myself explode. Gods, how does Sophia _do_ this? "This is her spirit. Her body is at Camp Half-Blood. Nemesis is trying to get her to give up. Remember how Chiron said she had to fight a battle against the poison? Not only is it putting her in excruciating pain, but Nemesis has also been torturing her spirit to speed up the process. Come on. We have to find Asclepius's wife. " Percy looked between me and Sophia, obviously not wanting to leave her. Annabeth knelt beside him.

"Come on," Annabeth urged, her voice soft. She was obviously horrified by the sight in front of her.

"No," Percy demanded shakily. "We _have_ to help her."

"Percy, we can't," Annabeth told Percy, trying to get him to see reason. "This is just her spirit. We have to find the antidote. That will be the best way we can help her. Now, come on. We have to find Aristodama. That way, we can help Sophia." She tugged on his shirt, and he batted her away.

"I can't leave her again," Percy said, tears streaming down his face. Gods, he could be stubborn, just like his sister. I glanced at Sophia. She was still huddled in a tight feeble position, screaming her lungs out. Her hair was coated in dried blood, giving it a dark red tint. She was so thin and covered in dirt. I couldn't help but wonder whether or not I looked something like that when Annabeth, Percy, and Sophia found me in Nemesis' hideout. I winced at the memory. It was a time I tried desperately to forget.

I hadn't realized it, but I was shaking as flashes of my time with Nemesis flooded through my mind. Annabeth was too busy trying to convince Percy that there was nothing we could do to help Sophia. A weakness for me was that if I got too lost in my thoughts, I never realize what my body is doing. My walls crumble, and I am left vunerable. I hated it, but I couldn't help it. Stupid blessing.

"Guys," Nico said. I'd nearly forgotten he was here. He was just so quiet. "I think I can help her." He sat next to Sophia and put an arm around her. He was the only one who could touch her, probably because she was just so close to death as a spirit. She was shaking in his arms, and he shushed her, comforting her as her screams died down, turning into whimpers.

"It hurts," Sophia murmured. It sounded like every word hurt to get out. "It hurts."

"I know," he assured, pulling out his canteen of nectar. He unscrewed the cap. He tried to get her to drink it, but she recoiled, whimpering.

"Please, no," she begged weakly. "Don't give me anymore. It hurts." Hurts? Nectar is supposed to heal. Was Nemesis...was she feeding Sophia more _poison_? Annabeth must've realized the same thing, for her eyes locked on mine. Percy, thankfully, hadn't realized it. He probably would've blown up if he did.

"No, no," Nico said. He had Sophia leaning on his arm across his chest. "This won't hurt. I promise. In fact, it will make everything better." She looked at him suspiciously but was apparently too weak to protest. She was so fragile, physically and emotionally, that Nico wa talking to her the same way you would talk to a terrified four year-old kid.

Nico tried to get Sophia to drink it, but the liquid refused. It kept bouncing away from her mouth like there was a force field around Sophia. Nico sighed, almost like he expected this. He drew his sword, and Sophia recoiled again, whimpering.

"Shush," he comforted. "I'm going to help you. You won't get hurt. I promise." She quieted down, and he took the sword, stabbing the ground at his feet. A small fissure opened, and Nico began to mutter in Ancient Greek, the words too quiet for me to make out. He poured the nectar in the little hole as well as some ambrosia, and it bubbled. Sophia looked at it, obviously confused.

"Drink it," said Nico. "It's an offering for you." She still stared at him confused. She carefully kneeled over the fissure and drank. I watched as some her wounds disappeared. Her arm straightened itself slightly, and the gash on her leg turned into a small cut. Nico pulled her away after a minute. "Hey, easy," he said. "Don't drink too much. You'll burn up." She nodded as she leaned into him, slightly bleary-eyed.

"Thank you," she said, her voice barely a whisper. She was quite exhausted.

"You're welcome," he told her, stroking her blood stained auburn hair as her eyes closed and her breathing steadied. She fell asleep, probably the first peaceful sleep she had ever since Nemesis captured her spirit. Nico lifted her gently. She looked so thin and tiny in his arms. He placed her on the ground in such a way that she would wake up comfortably and without a sore. Her breathing was ragged and that worried me. THat can't be healthy. He stood up, ignoring the blood that stained his clothes.

"We have to find that ghost," Nico said, glancing back at Sophia. "Nemesis will come back. What I just did there was a huge gamble. She could've sensed the offering I did, and now that Sophia's healed, she might torture her even _more_." We all nodded.

"Thanks, Nico," Percy said, "for helping my sister. I really appreciate it." I looked at Percy, and I now realized how broken he was without Sophia. He'd only known her for a year, but he already can't imagine life without her. They were so close. It was sad to see him in this much disarray.

I tried to imagine life without Sophia. Gods...it would be so _boring__**. **_During lunch, her personality lit up the lunch table. When she wasn't there, it was quiet and slightly awkward. Besides, when she wasn't there, everything was just plain boring. It was something I didn't want to deal with.

"No problem," he said. He glanced back at her. "The poor thing. No one deserves to be tortured in Tartarus-"

"-Except the four of you," a voice said, grabbing Percy and me from behind. I struggled against the strong grip as memories of the day I was kidnapped with the hellhound attacking me from behind. I felt the cold metal of a blade on my neck, and I froze. Beside me, Percy was in the same situation. Geryon was holding Percy back, and Percy struggled until the blade was at his throat.

"What did I tell you, mi'ady?" Geryon said. "They would fall for it!"

"I owe you my thanks," the person holding me said. I recognized the voice immediately. _Nemesis_. "Our mistress will be so pleased." Annabeth and Nico stood in front of us, weapons drawn. Annabeth was analyzing the situation, trying to figure out the best way of getting us out.

Meanwhile, I was putting all the pieces together. The way Apollo acted. Asclepius's lair. The fact that no monsters approached us.

"Morpheus," I growled. "The god of dreams. He pretended to be Apollo! He pretended to be Asclepius!" Nemeis cackled.

"Blessed by Athena, are you not?" Nemesis taunted. "You're right, Daughter of Poseidon. Morpheus pretended to be both gods. Morpheus was supposed to kidnap you, but changed his mind, insteading bringing you guys to us. Now, your blood will bring back my mistress." _That was why Apollo strangled me at first_, I thought. _It wasn't Apollo._ Two cyclopes came up behind Nico and Annabeth, grabbing their arms and disarming them.

Nemesis led us through many hallways and corridors, and I tried to memorize them in case of an escape but failed miserably. We finally reached a door, and Nemesis and Geryon took us in that room while the cyclopes led Nico and Annabeth to another room.

Our little room was maybe a seven by seven room, fairly small. The walls were made from whhat looked like pure obsidian. The ceiling of the room was a good twelve to thirteen feet high. There were two sets of short, celestial bronze chains dangling from the ceiling. I was helpless as Nemesis chained my wrists to a pair of them tight enough to constrict my blood flow. She did the same with my ankles. While this was going on, they did the same thing to my half-brother, then locked the door behind us.

It felt like my shoulders were on fire as they held my body weight. I struggled against the chains, cutting into my wrist. I didn't give up until droplets of blood were leaking down my arms, and even then, it was until Percy noticed that I actually stopped.

"Melina, it's useless," he told me, fairly calm. "They're too tight. All you're doing is getting yourself hurt." I sunk in defeat, feeling a _pop!_ and some excruciating pain as I dislocated my shoulder. I shrieked, my vision turning red from the pain as I began to breathe heavily. _No, Melina,_ I scolded. _Don't go into shock. You can't afford that._ I must've blacked out because when I came around, I was being slapped awake by Nemesis.

"Wake up, you sea spawn!" Nemesis shouted. My eyelids fluttered open, and I moaned as the pain in my shoulder returned. My vision turned red again, and I fought to stay conscious. I could see Percy watching me concerned. I could vaguely feel blood still flowing, and I was convinced I must've slit a blood vessel or something. I heard a slight _click_! as my shackles were unlocked. I fell to the floor, my legs unable to hold my weight. I banged my shoulder again, and my vision turned black for a second. Nemesis grabbed me by my hair, which was now loose out of its bun, and dragged me to by feet, muttering something I couldn't understand in Greek. My shoulder kept flopping around as she dragged me and I continuously moaned in pain. My shoulder hurt worse than Hades. I needed some nectar and ambrosia.

Nemesis threw me in a cage in another room, locking it behind me. I'd banged my shoulder one more time, my vision turning red. Someone was there, but I couldn't tell who it was. I slowed my breathing and my vision returned. I found Nico looming over me, obviously concerned.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "You screamed when Nemesis dumped you in here." I screamed? I don't remember this, but then again, the pain was excruciating. I bit my lip, and Nico looked me over, his adorably cute features turning grim. He propped me up on the wall, careful not to touch my bad shoulder. "Melina, your shoulder.." he said, drifting off. He searched his pockets, finding a small ambrosia square. He took his jacket off as well.

"Here," he said, giving me the ambrosia square. "This should help, but don't start eating it until I finish putting your arm in a makeshift sling." I nodded. He slowly positioned my arm correctly, carefully moving my shoulder. I began to eat the ambrosia, sighing as sweet relief flooded through me. Nico finished making the sling.

"Thanks," I told him. "That feels so much better."

"No problem," he said. "I would pop your shoulder back in, but I was afraid I'd make everything worse. I'd rather have someone who actually knew how to do it fix your arm." He stared at my wrist, and I looked down at them. I'd momentary forgotten that they were bleeding. Nico began taking his shirt off.

"Dude, it isn't necessary," I argued, but he totally ignored me.

"Melina, don't even try," he commanded. "Those aren't normal cuts. I'll bet those have been bleeding that badly for hours. Let me take care of them. Let me take care of _you_." That last word had so emotion behind it, I just crumbled, slumping in defeat. He smiled, taking my arms. I tried to ignore the electricity that coarsed through my veins at his touch. I looked up at him. He was hot, especially shirtless, and I silently cursed Aphrodite. He'd been through so much pain. I didn't want love to tear him down.

He touched the wounds on my wrist, feeling them for damage. I winced, and he instantly recoiled. As he wiped the blood up, he felt around my wrists. His fingers are so cold; I shiver. He glances at me questioningly but continues. I winced as he pressed the middle of the inside of my wrist.

"You hurt your wrist pretty badly," he said, feeling the bone. I grimaced. "Nearly dislocated it." He rips a part of his T-shirt as he began to wrap my wrist. "When you guys get to camp, make sure the Apollo campers check this out. I think you might've slit something." I nodded. "Is that the arm you fight with?" he asked, referring to my dislocated arm. I shrugged my shoulders.

"I'm pretty adept both ways," I replied. It was a total lie. I _was_ trained to fight with both arms, but I had terrible coordination and aim with my left. But Nico didn't know that.

He raised an eyebrow. "You sure?" I nodded, a total lie. I could tell he saw through it, but I wasn't going to drop it.

Our little conversation was interrupted by Nemesis. She came in, scowling. She grabbed me by the hair, pulling out a dagger.

I can't remember what she did, but I was in excruicating amounts of pain. I probably passed out, and when I came around, I was hanging from the chains with Percy. I was in so much pain I was numb.

Percy was all beat up as well, and my foggy mind wondered what happened to his Achille's curse. Percy was staring at me in obvious horror. Did I look that bad?

"Melina, we need to get you out of here and to some help," he said. "Any ideas?" I glanced down at the floor. There was a pretty huge pile of blood, and I pushed that thought aside. I began forming a battle plan. A really crazy one. One where quite a bit could go wrong.

"Percy, do you still have Riptide on you? You're going to need it."

**A plan, eh? Tune in this Friday (or sooner, probably Friday) and check out Melina's insane plan...and we might learn why she hates winging it.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hi y'all! Anyways, I'm sorry this chapter was late, but I got kinda sick. At least it's out! I stayed up so late to finish this. Now here's my challenge pour vous. I want y'all to try to figure out who this line of the prophecy is about: ****_One shall grow weak, forced to flee_****. It will be revealed in a couple of chapters, but I am curious as to what you guys think it's about. **

**Anywayz, y'all know the drill. I am not Rick, nor do I own anything affiliated (oooh! fancy word!) with Percy Jackson. Blah. You get the point! Don't forget to REVIEW AND FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER AT WRITERSMAGNET! Okay, now here's Chapter 17!**

There is a totally legitimate reason as to why I don't improvise. Because I suck at it.

No, I'm serious. I may be blessed by Athena, but when I make a plan, if I don't stick to it, I fail. Miserably. It's one of the many differences between me and Sophia. Sophia is a quick thinker, always on her toes, and actually prefers winging it. She's amazing at it. You have no idea how many times she's saved my butt whether we're late to rehearsal or class, or even when we nearly get caught pranking someone.

It was a long, painful process, but, I managed to pick the lock on my other arm using Midnight. It was hard with my dislocated shoulder (which Nemesis thankfully hadn't chained up) but not impossible. The second my feet hit the floor, a red haze dominated my vision as my knees buckled. I must've lost a lot of blood when Nemesis tortured me. I could vaguely hear Percy calling my name, and I used that as my anchor to consciousness. I couldn't pass out now.

Soon, my vision cleared, and I stood up slowly. I walked toward Percy, happy to find that I could walk. With my good arm, I began to pick Percy's locks as well. When they finally unlocked, Percy stood up, rubbing his wrists.

"Thanks," he said, flashing me a grin. Then he looked me over one more time, searching through his pockets, probably for ambrosia. He came up empty.

"Melina," he said, unsure. "Are you fit enough to fight?" I nodded, a total lie. I was so tired; all I wanted to do was curl up and sleep for at least a year. My shoulder, though better, was still insanely painful. I wasn't going to let Percy in on it though. I hated being thought of as weak. It made me feel like I'd given up, and there was no way in _Hades_ I was giving up. I gripped Midnight tightly in my hand. It was the onLy weapon I had besides my sword, Moonlight. Apparently, Nemesis confiscated Star. I was determined to get it back. I didn't use Moonlight because it was too heavy in my left hand. Midnight just felt better.

Percy studied me one more time before shooting me a wary look. He obviously didn't believe me but trusted my judgement. We edged toward the door as Percy pulled out a dragon tooth from his pocket. Last quest, Sophia, Percy, and Annabeth had defeated some sort of dragon. Sophia got the teeth but split them with Percy over the summer, saying something about how Percy might need some. She was right.

I grabbed one of the nearby shackles, praying they had Nemesis' scent all over it. My blood would cancel out my scent. I went to slice my wrist when Percy stopped me.

"Melina, no," he told me sternly."You've lost way too much blood already. I'll do it." I sighed, grabbing Percy's shackle. Near it, Percy dug a hole, carefully planting the dragon tooth in it. He lifted Riptide and sliced his wrist, allowing some droplets of blood to hit the dirt above the tooth.

At this moment, I realized something. _Where was his Achilles Curse?_ Did Nemesis get rid of it? Another thought began to form in mind. Was it the poison? Was it finally breaching his defenses? If that was the case, then how long have we been down here? Athena had said we probably had a week or two before the poison hit. Could we have been down here all that time? Shit. We were running out of time, and besides, this wasn't the time to ask.

We backed away as a tiny little dinosaur looking thing jumped from the ground. It was a deep blue, almost purple. It didn't look threatening at all, but I knew better. Dragon teeth with some blood will give birth to some violent and bloodthirsty creature. We had maybe five minutes before it turned into a full blown monster.

"Listen, little dragon," I told it, not exactly sure what to call it. I had no doubt Sophia would've named it some stupid yet cute name like "Laser" or something. I smiled at the memory then quickly reverted to the situation. "I need you to kill this goddess. Here's the scent." I knew this dragon couldn't kill Nemesis, but it could probably stall for time which is what I needed. Time was precious. If I had miscalculated...I shook the thought away. I couldn't afford to think like that.

I took control again. "Percy, do you know where Annabeth and Nico are being kept?" He nodded and began running in that direction. I tried to run after his, but I fell, unable to stand. I was too weak to blood loss must've drained me. Percy heard me fall and ran toward me, carefully helping me up.

"Let's not run," I told him. "I can't." The words were hard to get out of my mouth. I never liked admitting I was weak. It felt like I was admitting defeat, and if there was anything I had learned in my entire fifteen years of existence, it was to _never_ admit defeat. People tended to use that against you.

"Melina," he said, studying me. "You sure you can fight? You're so weak, not to mention your arm." I opened my mouth to protest, but he cut me off. "Don't act like you can fight with your left. We both know you can't." For once, I couldn't find a clever enough retort to that.

Instead, I replied "I'll manage." He shot me a look of discontent. He wanted me to sit out. He didn't trust me with being able to take care of myself. He wanted me to sit out. I wasn't going to do that.

"Come on," I urged. "We're losing time." Percy's eyes lit up after a second.

"How about we compromise?" He asked. "How about you sit out while I go get Annabeth and Nico, and then you can stick around for the rest of the escape?" I sighed. This couldn't hurt, and besides, I really could use a rest. My legs were threatening to buckle under me for standing too long.

"Fine, Jackson," I told him. "But only this once." He smiled and ran toward where our two friends were being kept. When he was out of sight, I slumped to the floor, thankful for the rest. I was sweating from the effort of standing and pretending to be okay. I had no clue as to how much longer I could've kept that up. The effects of the ambrosia I took earlier was fading as my shoulder's throbbing grew worse. I could vaguely feel various cuts bleeding down my legs, and the pain of those was getting to me. My lips were cracked and dry, and I felt dehydrated. I was also having trouble thinking. I needed some serious medical help. Or maybe a lot of ambrosia and nectar.

I wondered if Annabeth or Nico were worse. If they were, we didn't have any supplies to care for them. I had no clue where my bag of supplies was. I decided the smart option right now would be to look for them. That way, I can get my share of nectar and ambrosia. Plus, my first aid kit was in there.

I stood up haphazardly, careful not to fall over. I followed the direction of the little dragon thing's footprints. When I reached the clearing, I hid, examining the scene in front of me.

Nemesis was shotting various rays of power at a full grown Ismeian dragon. It was giving her quite a hard time. Geryon was helping her out, throwing random blocks of stuff at the creature. Sophia was being held back by some sort of skeleton warrior in the corner. She was obviously dazed, and her injuries were worse than before. But that wasn't even the worst part.

Annabeth and Nico were held by two cyclopes. Their hands were tied behind their backs and they both had knives at their throats. They both looked terribly beat up, especially Annabeth. Her left wrist was bent at a weird angle, and her ankle looked swelled up like she might've twisted it. I knew an ankle wasn't going to stop her, but I was also sure she wasn't supposed to walk on it.

A thought hit me; if those two were here, then where was Percy? A cold chill ran up my spine as another cyclops entered the room, holding a struggling Percy by the neck. Great. Just great. I was alone.

Strategy mode kicked in. I took a quick analysis of the situation.What was in the room I could possibly use? My backpack full of medical supplies and some Greek Fire bombs Sophia had made for me were in there. That could be useful. The problem was it was a good thirty feet away from me. I'd reveal my position if I left. My confiscated knife, Star, lay a good twenty feet away, very close to Nemesis and the Ismeian dragon. I couldn't get to that either. I took my personal inventory. I had Sophia's bracelet, but what could I do with that? Chiron didn't want us separating. Besides, I couldn't leave Percy. His blood might awaken Gaea if Nemesis was to sacrifice him. Not to mention the fact that I had to touch the ring with two finger which I couldn't do with my dislocated shoulder. I had Midnight, back in ring form. I reached toward it and put it on my other hand. That gave me easier access to it on my left hand since my right was dislocated. Moonlight was also in the leg of my jeans, but its weight would slow me down in a fighting situation. I had almost nothing on me.

Athena must've been busy or I was really that weak for I drew a blank. I couldn't think of anything. That left with two options. I could either wait on it to happen, or I could simply run in there and wing it. Both options were bad in different ways. I analyzed the situation one more time. Nemesis had killed the beast and turned on Annabeth, Nico, Percy, and Sophia. I decided the best thing I could do right now was wing it. I couldn't afford to wait.

I took a deep breath and ran into the situation, _literally_.

I pressed on the trident on Midnight, and the blade elongated in my hand. I ran to my bag and quickly pulled out a Greek Fire bomb, aiming it at Nemesis but not throwing it while putting my backpack on. A couple of skeletal warriors came to restrain me, but Nemesis waved her hand.

"Leave her be," Nemesis said. "She can't do anything anyways." She turned to me. "Unless she wants to hurt her friends." She smiled menacingly. Without taking my eyes off her, I slowly picked up Star. The familiar leather grip of the knife provided me with some comfort. I locked eyes with Annabeth. Her eyes darted at Midnight, then at her hands. I understood what she was planning, but it was risky.

Nemesis's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Daughter of Poseidon, do you know how much blood is in the human body?"

I gulped. "Approximately 5.6 liters." I had an idea as to where she was going with it, and I didn't like it.

"Do you know how many gallons that is?" Nemesis asked.

"About 1.5 gallons," I replied. She snapped her fingers, and I watched in horror as five milk cartons full of blood appeared in her hands. I almost wanted to vomit at the sight.

"All this blood," she said, grinning sadistically, "is about .5 more than all the blood in your bodies." She threw the plastic jugs on the floor and the plastic exploded, blood coating the entire floor. "And this will bring Gaea back." Nemesis completed as she began chanting. I took my knife, throwing it toward Annabeth. She quickly jerked her body, escaping the grip of her captors. Annabeth had timed it perfectly; the knife cut through her ropes like paper. She pulled the knife out of the wall and began battling her cyclopes. I grabbed all our bags, quickly putting them on one after another on my back. While this chaos was going on, I ran to Nico and battled his cyclopes with Midnight. Using my bad arm meant I stunk, but I managed to defeat both cyclopes. I cut the rope binding Nico's hands together, and he quickly drew my sword. I ran toward Annabeth who had just finished off Percy's cyclopes.

"What about Sophia?" Percy asked. "We can't just _leave_ her!" Styx. His fatal flaw. I looked at the exit, and watching in horror as the creatures that we thought were sleeping in their prisons were released and swarming us. We didn't have time.

"Percy, we can't!" I shouted over the scuttling noises of those monsters. "We won't make it!"

"LEAVE ME!" Sophia screamed. We turned to her. Her skeletal warrior had her in a death grip, but she shot us a desperate look. "LEAVE ME BEHIND! JUST GO!"

"I can't leave you again!" Percy shouted.

"You have to!" Annabeth told him. "I promise, we'll save her, but not now! We're going to die! Do you care?" Percy reluctantly turned to the door and we ran into the crowd of creatures, cutting and slicing.

We were starting to become overwhelmed, and my anger rose. Nemesis had already hurt Sophia. I heard a yelp from behind me and watched as Annabeth fell, clutching her leg in pain. There was no way we could make it through.

Then a miracle happened. I suddenly felt stronger. My knife didn't feel as awkward in my left hand. I automatically knew each monsters' weak point and I fought like a crazed maniac. Everything was blurred. I couldn't remember anything and everything was coming at me too fast. But that didn't matter.

I could vaguely hear Nico say in awe "Athena's blessing." After what felt like a few minutes, all the monsters were gone. I was drowsy and weak. I could feel all my wounds from those monsters throbbing. My temporary sling was shredded, and my arm hung loosely at my side, practically on fire. Whatever just happened had taken so much of my strength. I just collapsed, succumbing to the darkness.

**You have no idea how many times I had to write and rewrite this action scene. Each idea was crap, either that or it was deleted by my computer (ughhh). Anyways, REVIEW AND FOLLOW ME AT WRITERSMAGNET ON TWITTER!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hi y'all! Writersmagnet here! I'm soooo sorry for being late. I've been sick since Halloween, and it really got to me. I promised to publish a chapter on Halloween, but I didn't , so I made this chapter EXTRAA long in order to compensate. I do not own Rick Riordan (which you should know by now) and on to the story! FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER AS WRITERSMAGNET! DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! LOVE Y'ALL!**

For some reason, it was very hard for me to wake up.

I felt like I was in a coma, a dark force weighing down on me. It wouldn't let me move at all. I tried to fight against it, but it was simply too strong.

Hearing was the first sense that came back. It was muddy, but I could hear two people, probably boys, that were having a conversation.

Touch was the next one that came back. I could vaguely feel my body. I was in what felt like a bed, a really comfortable one. I could feel different hands on me at various times, changing what felt like bandages. Once in a while, I'd feel a large, rather callused hand gently feeling my forehead or brushing hair out of my face. The same hand would also trace my facial features once in a while. Another hand, obviously much larger, would almost constantly be holding my hand. I could also feel a sense of total and utter exhaustion hovering over me as well as some pain, significantly dulled by painkillers.

Smell followed afterward. Once in a while, the scent of the ocean would be evident. It was pretty constant, practically hovering over my nostrils. It was the boy who held my hand constantly. I would also smell leather and soil when the other boy hovered over me once in a while. It was a nice scent. I liked it. It felt right, somehow.

I fought with the heavy weight that was holding me back. It was probably the hardest fight ever; the darkness was merciless. But over time, it's defenses weakened, and each time I was somewhat conscious I managed to sort of weave myself a little hole in which I could escape the darkness' unyielding grasp. I squeezed the hand that was holding mine. I squeezed the hand again, and the force started to recede, the same way darkness seems to fade when you walk toward certain parts of a room with a candle. Soon, the force completely disappated, and I wearily opened my eyes. My vision was blurry, but I could see a guy looming over me, smiling. Recognition slammed me in the face as a hammer full of memories hit me on the head.

"Percy?" I mumbled, my voice cracking and barely audible. My vision cleared as my half brother's smile widened. I tried to sit up and failed miserably. Percy pushed me back down on the bed.

"That wouldn't be a good idea," he said. "Sit still. You've got three shattered ribs." Whoa. Where had those come from? Percy went to a minifridge and puIled out two bottles of nectar. I looked around the room. I didn't recognize this place. A wooden chair sat beside my bed, probably where Percy was sitting. There was one other huge bed in the room beside mine, and they were separated by a small wooden sidetable where Moonlight and Star were sitting. Nico slept in the other one bed, snoring lightly and still managing to look adorable even in sleep. There was a mahogany dresser with a mirror on the other wall across the dresser. A lamp sat atop it. Another door stood to its right, probably opening to an adjacent room. The walls were painted a beige but looked gold in the light of the lamp.

"Where are we?" I croaked. Percy sat in the chair beside my bed, putting one of the bottles of nectar on the sidetable.

"We're in a hotel in the outskirts of New York," he said. "After you passed out, we used the bracelet to get over here. " I noticed Percy carefully avoided using Sophia's name. "Apparently, Nico knew the owner of this place. He was a demigod son of Hebe. He let us stay here free of charge." Percy carefully put his arms under my armpits and hoisted me into a sort of sitting position that didn't put any stress on my broken ribs. Percy put the opened bottle of nectar in my good hand. My fingers trembled as they tried to hold the bottle, and Percy assisted me by helping me bring the bottle to my lips. The liquid tasted like warm apple pie, giving me strength. I could think much clearer now. I noticed something was missing after a minute, and I scolded myself for lack of observation.

"Where is Annabeth?" I asked. Percy's expression turned grim, and I could sense something more inside him shatter even further.

"She was bitten in the leg by an elder python," he said, choked up,"while we were fighting the monsters. The poison wouldn't respond to any nectar or ambrosia, so we sent her to Camp Half-Blood." The prophecy line hit me straight in the face. One shall grow weak, forced to flee. That was Annabeth. A huge weight was lifted off my shoulders now that that line was fulfilled in the prophecy. That was pretty much the worst line of the entire thing.

I went to lift my arm to put it on my shoulder, but the pain stopped me. It felt like it was on fire. Percy must've noticed the discomfort on my face since he pulled out some Advil and ambrosia out of his pocket.

"I wouldn't move your arm," Percy said. "It's still dislocated. I don't know how to pop bones back in, and I didn't want to risk damaging your arm. By the way, you were out for five days. We still have a good two weeks to find the poison. So rest up. Heal. Here's some Advil for the pain and some ambrosia." He gave them to me with a water bottle. I took the two pills and ate the ambrosia square.

"What's wrong with me?" I asked as an overwhelming feeling of exhaustion came over me. Percy's shot me a pained look.

"Melina, just rest," he said, carefully avoiding the subject. It must've been really bad if Percy didn't want to talk about it. He shifted me so I was lying on my back. "Regain your strength. You're going to need it." Percy smiled reassuringly and stroked my hair as I succumbed to the exhaustion.

You'd think me being injured would free me from having demigod dreams. Uh, hell no.

I found myself at the beach, the wet sand oozing between my toes. The familiar salty scent of the sea hung in the cool breeze, refreshing with the hot sun beating down on me. The familiarity of the beach was comforting, and I felt free. This was home. This was where I belong. I sat down in the sand, my feet in the cool, receding tide. I was just filled with complete and utter happiness.

My elated thoughts were cut off by a deep, regal voice beside me. "Hello, Melina." I nearly jumped out of my skin, startled.

A man sat beside me. He was probably no older than forty and deeply tanned, the kind of tan supermodels would've died to have. He wore a blue Hawaiian shirt over sculpted muscles. He also wore some Bermuda shorts which showed off some toned legs. This man had bright jade-green eyes that were nearly hidden by some windswept, jet black hair. The eyes had a gleam of mystery and unpredictability, but at the same time held a sort of peace within them. Like the ocean. Around his eyes, laugh lines were visible. I'd never seen this man before in my life, yet I knew who he was deep in my gut. This was Poseidon, my father.

My father. A lump of resentment grew in my throat. This was the man that had left my mom and turned her into a cocaine addicted psychopath who beat the crap out of her only daughter constantly. The sea began to churn slightly, an effect of my emotions. Poseidon noticed this and sighed.

"Melina," he told me. "I'm sorry. I really am. I didn't want to leave your mom, but Zeus made me. I know I haven't been much of a father to you, but it was for the better-" I couldn't stand this anymore. I cut him off.

"For the better!" I nearly shouted. I rolled up my sleeves, revealing many scars from the times my mom had gotten mad. Poseidon winced when he saw this. "Do you even know what happened after you left Mom? She turned into a crack addict, and she took her anger out on me. Do you know what it's like, coming home from school to your own mother, the one person who was supposed to love you unconditionally, telling you how much she wanted to slit your throat and feed you to the rats?" The ocean stirred violently. "Do you know how scared I was when I came home and found Mom either drunk or high? If you hadn't left, I wouldn't have to deal with all this bullshit!" Poseidon opened his mouth to say something, but I stopped him.

"Did you even love my mom" I asked, my voice barely higher than a whisper, "or was it lust? Did you just use my mom, and I was just the unwanted result of it?" I broke down in silent tears, something I never did. I never cried. I was just numb for so long, crying was a waste, but I couldn't stop the tears that streamed down my face; the tears of anger, pain, resentment, and suffering. This was just too much for a fifteen year-old girl to have to go through. Poseidon put a hand on my shoulder, a pained look in his eyes.

"Melina," Poseidon said calmly. "I loved your mom. I really did." I tried to shrug the hand off, but he kept it firmly planted where it was. "She was an amazing woman. You have no idea how happy I was when I found out she was bearing a child. My child. I would've stayed with your mom and watch you grow, but Zeus prevented me from doing that. I cannot interfere personally with my children's lives. However, I watched you from afar grow from a little baby to the beautiful young lady you're becoming." Poseidon sighed and snapped his fingers as the sea calmed down. "You have every right to be mad at me. I was a terrible father. All I was able to give you was a hero's life, and that's always tragic. Short and tragic." He removed his hand from my shoulder. By now, I had composed myself enough to stop crying and actually process this visit strategically.

"Aren't you supposed to be comatose on Olympus?" I asked the god. Poseidon laughed, a deep hearty laugh and my resentment toward him dissipated. I forgave him for leaving me, but I still had a grudge about it.

"I am," Poseidon said. "I'm powering this dream with the scraps of power I have left." He looked out to the sea. "Melina, do you know what the sea consists of?" I couldn't see where we was going with this.

"Umm, sharks, starfish, crabs," I said, ratting off various animals and plants. Poseidon raised his hand, cutting me off.

"Melina, do not over think it," Poseidon said. "What does the sea consist of? Keep it concise." I just sat there, stumped. I didn't know what to tell him. Poseidon raised an eyebrow at my expression. "Being blessed by Athena gave you many more skills at your disposal, but at the same time, it also left you incredibly vulnerable. Melina, the answer to what has ailed me is obvious. Just keep it simple. Now, when you wake up, I will have healed some of your wounds. I do not have much time left, and your sister has even less. Not to mention the poison's effects are to affect you and Percy. I'm surprised Sophia had even lasted this long without passing. She certainly has the will of her mother." Poseidon chuckled dryly. "And remember, Melina," he reminded, gesturing toward the sea. "Concise."The dream faded.

I woke up, happy to find myself feeling much more refreshed. I lifted my arm to find my shoulder back into its socket. I sat up, ignoring the pain from my ribs. Nothing a little nectar and ambrosia couldn't fix. I was still pretty weak and tired, but I was much better than I was earlier. Percy walked into the hotel room, carrying three McDonald bags. He opened his mouth to begin fussing over the fact I was sitting up, but he noticed some of my wounds had disappeared and his eyebrows scrunched together in thought instead. I told him before he could have a chance to ask.

"Poseidon helped me out," I said. "He managed to heal me a bit." Percy's face switched to one of comical confusion. It was kind of funny, but not humorous enough to laugh about.

"So you had a demigod dream?" he asked. I nodded as he walked over, sitting on the end of my bed. I winced; that small movement had jolted my ribs and Percy, sensing my discomfort, stood up and came over to me, placing gentle hands on my upper stomach. I gasped in pain, and Percy's eyebrows furrowed, like they usually do when he's worried.

"Still a little cracked," Percy said, feeling around. He met my gaze, a stern look in his eyes. "No exertion. None at all. You will lie here and rest. Are we clear?" I didn't like that proposal. After all, I hated feeling helpless and weak. It was probably the Athena in me talking, but weakness was not something, strategically, your enemy would overlook. I hated having any sort of strategic weakness. But the look Percy had in his eyes was similar to the one Sophia had when she was defiant, and if there was anything I knew, when Sophia had that look in her eyes, she wasn't going to back down.

Oh, gods. Sophia. The poison was still in her system. If Poseidon was right, and it was starting to affect Percy and me, then what's Sophia's health condition? I shivered as images of our time in Tartarus came back. If Sophia was being treated like that...I had to call Camp.

Oh, gods. I closed my eyes as realization sunk in. Nemesis succeeded in raising Gaea. With our blood. Maybe the gods were right when they said they should've killed us. We've just damned the world. I pushed the thought away; I didn't want to deal with it right now.

Percy gave me a cheeseburger and some fries which I gobbled down. I was starving. A little time later, Percy gave me some nectar and ambrosia while he changed my bandages. Suddenly, something hit me, and I mentally scolded myself for not noticing it earlier.

"Percy?" I asked as he changed my bandages. "Where's Nico?"

"He went to tell the gods about our little...'problem' with Mother Earth," Percy responded, not taking his eyes off a nasty cut on my leg that he was applying some ointment on. "One of us had to stay here because of your condition, and I volunteered so Nico went." I knew Percy couldn't leave me because of his fatal flaw. It was personal loyalty; he never knew when to cut his losses. To save his friends, he'd do stupid, rash, and recklass things. That was something an enemy could easily exploit multiple ways. Gaea probably had him wrapped around her finger with Sophia's spirit in her grasp.

I felt bad for Percy. His fatal flaw probably tormented him constantly during this quest alone. He was so determined, so headstrong...gods he and Annabeth were so alike, yet so different. They were both defiant with strong moral values. Though Percy was a total Seaweed Brain sometimes, he was actually pretty clever and brilliant, like Annabeth, but in a totally different way. Annabeth, unlike Percy, was battle and book smart. Percy seemed very good at absurd, clever plans that were so crazy they worked. I could see why Annabeth had taken a liking to him. Just when you think you know him, he does something and you just don't. He was a very interesting case.

My thoughts were interrupted by huge bang outside. Percy jumped up, Riptide in hand, and ran out of the room. I stood up, ignoring my complaining ribs, and grabbed Star. I was totally unbalanced, and I was obviously too weak to stand, but adreanaline kept me from falling over. I ran out the door, naviagting through the endless corridors to the exit. I found Percy deep in battle with the Nemean Lion. No matter where Percy struck the creature, the blade would bounce off, nearly dislocating Percy's arm. I saw a girl huddled in the corner of a nearby alley, a wild look in her eyes. She didn't look much older than six, and she gripped a human kitchen knife. From this, I was able to deduce that this monster was following this little girl, and Percy told her to hide while he took care of it. She was a demigod, a stray by the look of it. She had a bad cut on her arm that was bleeding unhealthily. Her big brown eyes held terror, and she shivered in the corner, and her body was too scrawny, her clothes hanging off her like rags. Short, bright brown hair was hopelessly tangled, leaves and branches entertwined within it. She looked like she spent months living on her own. The poor girl.

I held up one pointer finger, warning her to stay. She nodded vigorously, tears streaming down her face. I walked, painfully, toward the lion, watching it, observing it for any weak points. It hit me straight in the face: the _mouth_.

"Percy!" I screamed. He turned around, and I ran beside him, sparring with the dragon.

"Melina!" Percy screamed. "You're in no condition-"

"Dude," I cut him off. "People don't tell the sea to be restrained. Now listen, go around and distract from the back. I'll get it in the mouth when the momentary confusion hits." He promptly obeyed, knowing better than to argue. The lion pounced, getting me at my side, and In heard an even more prominent crack. I screamed in pain, barely managing to throw Star into the lion's mouth. I fell to ground, the impact jolting my ribs even more. Percy ran over to me, pulling out his canteen of nectar that he kept on him at all times. I was in a haze of pain which left me paralyzed, and Percy had to force the nectar down my throat. The god food brought strength into me, and the pain receded until it was almost totally dull. I sat up slowly, much to Percy's protests, and I felt much better. I stood up, Percy supporting me, to the alley where the little girl hid. She saw us coming, and backed farther into the shadows, whimpering.

"Hey," I said softly, encouraging. I walked unsteadily toward the little girl, kneeling in front of her. "Don't worry, we're not going to hurt you. I promise. Come out. We don't bite." The girl stubbornly stayed in the shadows, shaking in fear.

"The monsters," she said, brandishing her knife.

"It's okay," I said. "We see them too. And we won't let them hurt you." I held my hand out for her. "I promise. We'll take care of you. Are you hungry?" She nodded. I eyed her arm. It was bleeding way too much. It looked like she might've slit a blood vessel. "You're hurt," I said. "Come on. We'll take very good care of you. Won't we, Percy?" I glared pointedly at him, and he came and knelt beside me.

"We will. I promise." I could see that he seriously meant it. His little sster was in Tartarus. He needed someone to desperately fill in that gap. It also hit me that this little girl reminded him of Annabeth. She was around this age when she ran away and found a guy named Luke and Thalia. Thalia joined the Hunters, and from what I've been able to deduce, Luke joined Kronos, then sacrificed himself to save the world.

"Don't send me home," the girl whimpered, her lip quivering. My heart broke for this girl; I knew exactly how she felt. I had the same feeling when I lived with my mother.

"We won't," Percy swore. "I swear. Now come on. What's your name?" The little girl hesitated, then put her little, scrawny hand into mine.

"My name is Erin," she replied. Erin was short, not much more than a yard tall. I couldn't help but wonder how a little girl, so vunerable, manage to survive this long by herself. I lifted Erin, despite my rib's protests.

"I'm Melina," I said. I gestured toward Percy. "This is Percy. Now, let's go to our hotel room. That arm doesn't look to good." She nodded, gripping me like it was life or death. I could feel her ribs prominently under her shirt. She wasn't just skinny; she was malnourished. Percy and I took her inside into our hotel room. I sat down on the bed, placing Erin beside me. I examined her and turned to Percy.

"Get her some clothes," I told him. "It also wouldn't hurt to get her some food as well." Percy eyed me, concerned.

"Melina," he said, shaking his head. "You're in terrible condition to-" I cut him off with a finger, and he slumped off, defeated. He knew better than to argue with me.

I turned to Erin, who was clutching her bleeding arm in agony. I grabbed my first aid kit from my bag and sat beside Erin on the bed.

"Erin, I need to see your arm," I told her, pulling out a tiny vial of nectar from the kit. She obliged, and I wiped up the dirt and grime around the cut with an antiseptic wipe. I was right; the little girl had slit a blood vessel, and a large one. I poured some nectar on the wound, and Erin visibly winced. The nectar helped with the bleeding, to the point where stitches weren't necessary.

"Erin," I asked while I bandaged her up. "Why did you run away?" Erin winced; she didn't want to talk about it. Tear slid down her grimy face.

"My parents died in a car crash," she murmured so quietly, I had to lean in to hear her. "My aunt hates me. She talked baout how much I wasted her time. I ran away. I don't like her. She's mean. Don't send me back, _please_," Erin was practically begging. My heart shattered even further when I heard this. Fates, why are you so cruel? She's only seven! Erin cried, burying herself into my chest. I held her close, stroking her knotted hair as she was wracked with heart-broken sobs.

"Shh, shh," I comforted. "It's okay. We're your new family. And families stick together."

She cried her eyes out for a half hour before the sobs turned into whimpers.

"You aren't going to leave me?" Erin asked. I kissed her on the forehead, a sisterly kiss.

"No darling," I told her. "I won't. Now, go take a shower. You're filthy." The little girl headed toward the bathroom, closing the door behind her. I lay down on the bed, groaning in pain. My ribs were killing me, and I couldn't take any ambrosia or nectar since I had already taken too much.

My thoughts flitted toward the question Poseidon had given me. "What does the sea consist of?" Gods, it was so much, and he told me to keep it concise. Concise? How? There was just so much in the ocean, there was no way in hell I could catergorize it in one word. My thoughts whirred in my head, slowly lulling me to sleep.

**That's over 3500 words right there. I wasn't kidding when I said it was long. Tune in next FRIDAY to find out why Erin might jsut be who they're looking for...**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hi, guys! So, what's funny is that my friends found out about my story. Erin and Melina are both based off of my best friends who are also Percy Jackson addicts, and they told all my friends about the story, so now I get all my friends coming up to me asking about it, not to mention every time I screw with Melina's love life, my best friend gets soooo mad, it's kind of funny. Well, anyways, my friends have been begging me to publish this chapter, so it's out a day early! Whooot! Anyway, I have a challenge pour vous. Any guesses as to who Erin's dad is? The only people who know are me and my friends, and I've got a solid plot lined up. And yeah, this book is going to be WAYYYY longer than Sophia.**

**Damn, Writersmagnet, long authors note. Well, you know the drill and on with the story!**

I woke up to Percy slowly urging me awake. My eyes fluttered open slowly, and I moaned. Everything throbbed like crazy. It felt like I ran twenty miles nonstop, and my entire body was sore as a result.

"Melina, are you okay?" Percy asked, his green eyes boring into mine. I was in way too much pain to say anything. His eyebrows scrunched together as he placed a gentle hand on my ribs. I nearly screamed. Hades. That hurt.

"Melina!" he scolded. "I told you to stay in bed!" At this point, I wish I'd listened to him. He felt around my chest, concentrating on finding the breaks in my ribs. "You broke another one," he said. "Thankfully, the others are almost totally healed. A little nectar and some ambrosia should be enough to get rid of the majority of the breaks. But you're still going to rest until at least until tomorrow morning." He gave me a pointed glare, and I submitted to his demand, defeated. He was right, after all. He gave me a bottle of nectar which I drank half of, careful not to take too much The relief spread through my body from the warmth of the nectar, and I sighed in content. That felt awesome. I ate some ambrosia, and I felt the bones in my chest knit together. I sat up, leaning against the headrest.

"Percy, where's Erin?" I asked. I hadn't seen her in the room, and I expected the worst. Percy laughed.

"She's right next to you, sleeping," Percy said. "And you were the one blessed by Athena?" I scolded myself for my lack of concentration to detail. Erin was sleeping in a curled up fetal position beside me, her bright brown hair sprawled everywhere. It was still tangled, but at least it was clean from the shower she took. She was using my upper arm as a sort of pillow, and my arm was wrapped around her, pulling her close. I hadn't realized that she was on my arm. I guess the pain numbed everything else.

Using my other arm, I brushed some hair out of her face. She was so tiny and fragile, I felt a strong need to protect her. No one was going to hurt her anymore. She'd been through so much. It was sad to see.

I suddenly felt an anger toward the gods. They were gods. They could send her some help in a millisecond, but they refused to. They left this poor seven year-old girl to die in the wild alone, and they probably didn't care. Did they even care about any of their demigod children?

The quest hit me square in the face. We had to find the antidote. I looked down at Erin. I couldn't take her with us. It'd be too dangerous. I felt guilty however. I promised her that we wouldn't leave her.

"Percy, we're taking Erin on the quest with us," I told him."We can't leave her. Besides, we promised." I knew, strategically, it wasn't a good idea, but I couldn't leave her. She reminded me so much of myself, my heart broke for her.

"But it's dangerous-" Percy began, but I cut him off. I wasn't taking no for an answer. He slumped in defeat. "Fine," he said, glancing at the petite girl beside me. "If she get's hurt, though, she's going straight to Camp. Okay?" I nodded. Nothing was happening to Erin while Percy and I were here.

Beside me, Erin was stirring, moaning words in her sleep. "No," the little girl begged. "Please." The girl's moans slowly turned into screams of terror. I slowly shifted myself so I was on my side, facing Erin. I began shaking her.

"Erin, it's just a nightmare," I told her. "Wake up." Erin's bright brown eyes opened and immediately filled with tears as she buried herself into my shirt, sobbing. I hugged her close, stroking her hair.

"Don't let them come for me," she hiccuped between heart-wrenching sobs.

"Who?" I asked tenderly. Was she having a demigod dream?

"The monsters," she said. "There were tons of them. Don't let them get me!" Erin gripped my shirt, burying herself within it even more. The poor girl was shaking in terror, and Percy came to lie down on the opposite side of her, wrapping his arms around the waist of the little girl.

"Erin, no one will ever get to you. I promise," Percy said. His eyes flashed of determination; he truly meant every word he said. He wouldn't let anyone hurt Erin. I was with him on that. I looked down at the little girl buried in my shirt. She was so young; to see her this terrified was depressing.

"Erin, how old are you?" I asked. I'd guessed seven, but I wasn't sure.

"S-six," she stuttered. "I just turned six." Wow She was younger than I thought.

"Hey, Erin, are you hungry?" I asked her. She looked up at me, her brown eyes bloodshot. She nodded, and I glanced at Percy knowingly.

"Melina!" he complained. "Why me?"

"Thanks, Percy!" I retorted, sending him a huge, sarcastic smile. He groaned in defeat, grabbing a jacket and rushing out the door, muttering something about girls being lazy. I shifted again so I was leaning against the head rest with my back, and Erin sat up, facing me. I grabbed a hairbrush from my bag that was on the side table. Erin turned around and let me brush her hair. As I was brushing her hair, I realized that Erin still didn't know about the gods. I figured now would be a good time to tell her, but how was I going to tell her without scaring her? I decided it was best to be straight out with her. She seemed more capable than I gave her credit for.

"Erin," I began. "Have you heard stories about the Greek gods? Like Zeus, Poseidon, Hades..." I couldn't see the expression on her face, but I felt her straighten up.

"Yeah," she said. "With the sky and the sea? Those myths?"

"Yeah," I told her. "They're real. The monsters that were following you? They were also from Greek mythology. And you're a demigod, the daughter of one of the many Greek gods. I'm a daughter of Poseidon, the god of the sea. Percy is also the son of Poseidon" Erin was silent, probably drinking it in. I continued. "You probably have ADHD. Those are your battle reflexes. They are what save you in battle. You probably also have dyslexia. You can't read English because your brain is programmed for Ancient Greek, not English. Erin, which parent is your godly parent? Is it your mom? Or your dad?" Erin turned around, her now untangled bright brown hair falling to her shoulders.

"It's my dad," Erin said softly, looking at her lap. "Mommy had told me. She told me I would have to go to a camp someday for special kids like me." She looked up at me, her eyes holding realization and nervousness. "You guys are going to take me to that camp with you, right?" I nodded as Erin crawled over to sit beside me. She snuggled closer and my arm wrapped around her instinctively. Erin, like the six year-old she was, began shooting questions at me rapid fire, stuff like "Can I live there?", and "Are there other girls like me at Camp?", and "Do I learn how to fight monsters?". The question that really surprised me, however, was the last one. "Am I going to like it there?" she asked with a quiver in her voice. I pulled Erin closer.

"You'll love it," I told her. "I stay there year-round as well. If you have any problems, I'm usually the only person in the Poseidon cabin. Come whenever you want." She smiled and nodded, obviously happy to have somewhere to turn to,

"Thank you," she replied. She snuggled even closer to me, lying on chest. She was so skinny, thankfully; she applied no pressure on my ribs, but I could feel every bone of her spine jutting out. She was malnourished, and I didn't like that. A six year-old should not be that tiny and skinny. It just wasn't healthy.

"Melina?" Erin asked after a long silence. "What's wrong with Poseidon? I heard you talking about him." I grimaced. I knew she needed to know eventually, but I felt this was so early. After all, though I wouldn't admit it, I was in no condition to fight. I took a deep breath and explained the entire concept to her.

"Erin, there's this goddess, Nemesis. She is the goddess of revenge. She wants to raise Gaea in order to get revenge on the gods for some wars that the Titans lost. She poisoned Poseidon in order lure us out of Camp to get enough of-" I winced at the gruesome thought. "-our blood to raise Gaea. She succeeded, but Poseidon's still poisoned, and if we don't figure out, me, Percy and Sophia will all slowly die. Not to mention Poseidon would fade." Erin listened to this all intently.

"Sophia is Percy's real sister, right?" she asked. I nearly raised an eyebrow. This girl was smart, _really_ smart, for a six year-old. There was no way she was a daughter of Athena, though, if her mom was her human parent.

"Yeah, Sophia is," I replied carefully. "She's also my best friend." Her name, thankfully, only brought over a sense of melancholy over me which quickly morphed into determination. We had to save Poseidon and Sophia.

A more immediate problem came to me. "Erin, did Percy give you a weapon yet?" Erin shook her head, and I rummaged through my bag, pulling out one of two spare knives I packed with me. I gave it to Erin. It was a basic, Celestial bronze knife with a leather hilt. The blade was a foot long, doubled edged, and very sharp. It was a knife Leo had made me for emergencies. I gave the knife to Erin, and she looked at in amazement.

Now, I know what you're thinking. _Melina, you're not supposed to give a knife to a six year-old kid, blah, blah, blah._ Erin, however, was no normal six year-old kid; she was a demigod, and she needed a knife to defend herself. Besides, she seemed mature enough to not go around slicing stuff she doesn't need to.

"Erin, Percy will teach you how to use this," I told her, the words bitter in my mouth. I hated being out of commission, but I had a feeling that if I wasn't in good shape soon, this quest would be doomed. I usually didn't listen to little feelings like this, but this one felt very possible.

"Melina, you're hurt," Erin said, studying me curiously. ""I know you don't like it. It's written all over your face. But something really bad is happening, and you need to be strong." Damn. Erin was _way_ more mature than I thought.

"Percy told you to make sure I stayed in bed, didn't he?" I asked. She nodded, and I rolled my eyes. Percy didn't trust me. Thinking about it, I didn't really blame him, since I _had_ broken his trust before when I was injured, but still. I was fifteen. I was totally capable of taking care of myself. I didn't need a babysitter.

Erin unsheathed the blade I had given her, admiring it. I drew Star, and Erin and I had a little knife lesson, right there on the bed.

"This blade is double edged," I explained, "meaning that you can hit an enemy on both sides because they're both sharpened. This helps when having to strike an opponent with a swing." I demonstrated in thin air, and Erin imitated.

"In my experience, stabbing not the most efficient way to fight. It's better when you swing, then stab as a sort of kill shot. You can also slash which is my preferred way." I showed her. We had a mini sparring lesson so she can see the couple of scenarios.

We continued this rag-tag sort of training for hours, interrupted when Erin's stomach growled loud enough for me to hear. Erin was a very gifted fighter already for her age. I laughed when I heard the sound, until I realized something. Why hadn't Percy come back yet? It had been like three hours. Erin must've realized the same thing because her smile vanished, turning into one of deep thought.

"Maybe he's running late?" Erin suggested.

"Even if he was, it doesn't take that long to o to a nearby McDonalds or something and get a meal." I gripped Star tightly. "Something's terribly wrong." Erin gripped her knife tighter, feeling my distress. At that moment, a knock was heard on the door, and Erin went to open it. Percy staggered in, pale. Erin sttod there, shocked as Percy fell on the bed, unconscious. She was obviously terrified.

"Erin," I told her. "Go grab a water bottle full of gold liquid from the fridge and pour some down his throat. Hurry." Erin obeyed, pouring some of the godly liquid into Percy's mouth. He shuddered as his body relaxed. He was sleeping.

"Melina, what's happened to Percy?" Erin asked. I met her innocent eyesn not liking what I had to tell the girl.

"The poison's gotten to him," I told her wincing.

"Yeah I fugred that one out," Erin replied. "But where's the food? I'm really hungry!"

**Typical Erin. All she cares about is the food. (sigh) Tune in next chapter to find out exactly what's going on here.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Hey, guys! Writersmagnet here! I'm sorry for publishing this late but my excuse is that my computer broke! I'm currently doing this from my iPod, which sucks. I hate it, but since I love you guys, I'll suffer to make you happy.**

**Well, y'all know the drill and here's Chapter 30!**

Erin wasn't as mature as I thought. That's what I get for overestimating a six year-old.

Erin begged for food until I let her order room service. I couldn't get up to check on Percy for fear that my ribs would break again. We had to get him to camp though. If the poison was truly getting to him, then he was a dead weight we couldn't afford to carry. Looks like Erin and I had to do this quest alone.

I had to protect Erin. This weight felt heavy on my shoulders. In the condition I was in, I couldn't protect an ant, let alone a real human being. I made my decision then and there to rest until my ribs heal. At least then, I had a better chance of protecting her.

I guess my thoughts lulled me to sleep because the last thing I knew, I was in a demigod dream.

I was in the throne room at Olympus which never failed to amaze me. The architecture was amazing. It was huge, with a glass dome at the top to reveal the stars. The hall had Greek columns going around it, and the entire room looked like it was made of marble and gold. Along the walls, in a U shape, were twelve thrones, each with a huge, twelve foot tall human in them, except for two of them, one of which being next to Zeus, which was where my father usually sat. A girl sat at Zeus' feet. She looked around twelve years old with tanned skin and brown hair, braided in a single plait down her back. A silver bow was strapped to the girl's back, and it matched her silver gown perfectly. I recognized her immediately. She was Artemis, the goddess of the moon, maidens, and the hunt.

The gods on the throne were all silent and stunned, except for a little girl in a red robe tending to the flames in the corner, who seems unphased by all this. Hestia, the goddess of the hearth and home, never got herself involved, being the peace-maker, but it was obvious she was slightly amused by the gods' stunned silence. Nico was standing in the middle, and my heart threatened to beat out of my chest. I wanted to murder Aphrodite at this point. Why are you doing this to me? Anyways, it was obvious Nico had just told the gods about Gaea.

"Those wretched children of Poseidon!" Zeus bellowed, breaking the tense silence. His lightning bolt appeared in his hand, and the air crackled, smelling of ozone. "We should dispose of them!"

"Father," Artemis said calmly. "Do not be rash. It wasn't the children's fault. Leave them be. Besides, the deed is done. Eliminating them would not fix the damage."

"As much as I agree with my sister," Athena began, leaning forward, "I think Father has a point. We do not want this happening again. Nemesis and Gaea could easily take Uncle Hades' and Father's demigod children and use them against us, just like they did in the second Titan war." This statement caught me by surprise. I thought Athena was on our side. Maybe not. Still, I couldn't help but agree with her. We were easily manipulated in the second Titan War. The reason the second Titan War even started, however, was because the demigod children weren't claimed by their godly parents which made them resentful. I could see how the Big Three gods killing their children would cause a rebellion.

"My Lady," Nico said, "the reason the demigods rebelled was because they believed their parents hated them. Killing Sophia, Melina, and Percy would only cause war; something we don't need. Besides, whether you like or not, you guys owe Percy and the demigods for defending Mount Olympus during the second Titan War. Kill them, and you won't be much better than Gaea herself!" Nico was nearly yelling by the end of that. It was obvious he felt passionate about the topic. He left a heavy silence among the gods.

"I, for one, agree with the Hades' son," another god said. He was tanned, with a muscular build. His salt-and-pepper hair fell in his face, contrasting his bright blue eyes and elfish features. He had a cell phone in his hand and was fiddling with it as he spoke. He wore a navy mailman outfit, sporting it with winged shoes. I recognized the god immediately as Hermes, the god of messengers and thieves. "We cannot kill off our own kids. They are our children, after all. Besides, we'd be no better than Grandfather if we killed them off."

"I agree with my nephew," another goddess said. She was older, maybe fifty, with long wavy black hair and huge brown eyes. She had strands of wheat plaited in her hair, and she wore a matching grass dress. She was Demeter, the goddess of harvest and agriculture. "Instead, how about we feed them more cereal?" The entire court groaned, rolling their eyes. "What, it's true! More fiber in their diet would do those demigods good. Strengthen their brains so they don't make stupid mistakes. Maybe a couple of months behind a plow would do them good as well. That's some good character building right there. And-"

"Demeter, that's enough." said Mr. D, playing with a grape vine. "You're giving me a headache. I say, good riddance to those demigods! Less dumbheads I have to deal with." My anger rose. I really hated Mr. D.

"I agree with my dear nephew," Hera said like the words had a bitter taste to them. She obviously hated Dionysus, probably because of the fact that Zeus had sired him with a woman that wasn't her. "Those brats are unthankful as it is. I demand we annhilate them. It will save us years of issues that we have to deal with-"

"You're only saying that because you hate how your dear husband doesn't fall in love with you!" Aphrodite squealed. She wore a simple red dress with her appearance constantly changing, becoming more and more beautiful by the minute. She was filing her nails, her legs crossed nonchalantly. "The romance between demigods is so cute! It's so short and tragic, and full of indecision! I simply love playing with them! I say we keep them!"

"Fine, we shall do a vote," Athena said. "Who wishes to spare the demigods?" Aphrodite, Hermes, Apollo, Artemis, Demeter, Hephaestus, and Ares all raised their hands. "That's half. I shall assume Poseidon wishes to spare his children, therefore we have the majority." There was a some noise from some very indignant gods for not killing the demigods.

"I have an update on Uncle's condition," Apollo interrupted. The entire room went silent, and it felt like a funeral. I examined Apollo thoroughly. He wore a red, short sleeved shirt over his muscled arms, but his usually tanned skin looked pale, a strange occurance for a god. Dark bags framed his eyes, and his usually bright flirtatious personality was significantly dimmer. He didn't even call my father 'Uncle P' like he usually did. He seemed melancholy and drained. This poison thing must be taking a lot of essence from him. "The poison still won't respond to anything. I've done everything I can think of, but his condition keeps deteriorating. Not to mention his kids are getting worse. Sophia probably has no more than a few days, and Percy's growing weaker every day." Apollo slammed his hand on his throne in anger, making everyone jump, including me. I've never seen this dark side of Apollo. "I can't figure this poison out! It's frustrating!" Hermes put his hand on his brother's shoulder.

"It's okay." Hermes eyes locked on mine. "Melina, you've heard. Sophia's got a few days, a week at the most. Figure it out. You're smart. We're counting on you." My dream shifted, and I woke up. I absorbed the information I was just given, biting my lip. I had a few days. There was no way in Hades I could figure it out in that short of time. I took in my surroundings, searching for Erin, only to find her sleeping next to me, her new knife clutched tightly to her chest. The first few rays of daylight flitted through the windows, and I slowly sat up, happy to find my ribs healed. Next to my bed was a small bag, and I opened it, surprised to find a small silver bracelet in it. A note was attached in cursive script, which was hell to my dyslexic eyes, but I was able to decipher it.

You'll know.

I gazed at the note, perplexed. It was obviously from a god, but which one? It was probably the same one that healed my ribs. I silently thanked whichever god sent this. The bracelet was very simple, just a thick silver bangle with words I didn't recognize in an ancient language, obviously not Greek. I go to throw the bag out, only surprised to find something else inside it. It was a white pearl, and it smelled like the ocean. I smiled, good memories flooding through me from the familiarity of the scent. Somehow, I knew exactly what to do with this pearl. I stood up, walking over to where Percy slept. I felt his forehead, noticing his slight fever. He should go to camp and rest. I rolled the pearl between my fingers, savoring the cool, smoothness of it. I threw it at Percy, and it cracked, covering him in a mist.

"The Camp Half-Blood Infirmary," I told the mist. "Alert Chiron." The mist lingered, then disappeared, taking my half-brother with it. I tranferred everything in his backpack to mine for easier travel. While packing everything, I heard a voice behind me.

"Melina, where are we going?" Erin asked. I turned around to find her awake, sitting on the bed. "Where's Percy?"

"Percy's fine," I assured her. " I just sent him to Camp. We're going to find the cure for Posiedon. Come on. It's just you and me now." Erin had a reluctant look on her face which I could totally relate to. I didn't want to leave the hotel either, but we had to. "Come on, Erin," I urged. "The sooner we leave, the more time we have to find the antidote." Erin nodded, jumping out of bed. She wore a pair of black basketball shorts and a baggy navy blue shirt. Her shoulder length, straight bright bown hair was tied up in a ponytail, and her obviously overgrown bangs hung in front of her face, annoying her as she blew them out of the way. I laughed, drawing Star. "Here, let me help," I told Erin, sitting next to her on the bed. I grabbed her bangs, and, using Star, cut them to an appropriate length. Surprisingly, they came out straight. I threw the hair that was in my hand in the trash. "Better?" She smiled, and I laughed. "When we get to Camp, I'm going to get an Aphrodite kid to give you a haircut! You need one!" Erin's smile widened, a gap between her teeth I hadn't noticed showing. The smile disappeared as Erin grabbed some clothes and headed to the bathroom to change. Since I was done doing all I needed to do, I sat on the bed, inspecting the new bracelet. The gods would only give me something of use, right? Why was this bracelet so important?

My thoughts shifted to the riddle Athena had given me. It seemed like years since I had thought about it. "Little Crowned King?" Annabeth said 'king' in Greek was baleus. This seemed important somehow. A memory tickled at the back of my mind, annoying me. These words sounded so familiar, almost like I'd heard them before, but I couldn't put a finger on it. It felt like trying to reach for someone's hand but the only thing separating the two was a centimeter of space. I growled in frustration. This was starting to piss me off.

I thought about Poseidon's riddle. I felt like this little thing could help me, like one word that could solve an entire crossword puzzle. I sighed. I couldn't figure this out.

Erin came out of the bathroom fully dressed in a red shirt and basketball shorts. Her knofe was strapped to her sleeve and her bright brown hair tied in a low ponytail. She ran up to me and jumped, her weight pushing me down on the bed. We both began laughing, until Erin pulled my hair.

"Hey, ouch!" I exclaimed, slapping her hand. Percy must've taken my waist length hair out of my bun so it hung loose. I didn't have a hairtie on me to tie it up so I left it alone. Erin was laughing at my pain as I pushed her off me. "Seriously, Erin, that hurt!" She just continued to laugh as I stood up an grabbed my backpack. "Come on, Erin. Let's go." She followed me as we left the hotel, starting ou quest with a deadline over our heads.

**Well, there's that! Tune in next Friday to see the troubles that lie ahead for Melina and Erin!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey y'all! Well, I thought I'd publish this chapter earlier because of Thanksgiving! I have a challenge for you guys. There's a new character in this chapter. Can any of you guess who her godly parent is?**

**Well, without futher adieu, here's chapter 21! Happy Thanksgiving!**

You pick up on the most interesting things when your mom makes drug deals with smugglers, including how to hijack a car.  
It took about twenty minutes and quite a bit of Greek cursing, but I managed to hot wire a nearby car. That's where another problem came in; I was almost fifteen. I didn't even know how to put gas in a car correctly, let alone drive one. I figured it out after a couple of test drives, and before we knew it, Erin and I were speeding down the highway.  
"What's the plan?" Erin asked from the passenger seat after nearly fourteen hours of silence. Now, I know what you're thinking. Melina, you're already breaking like five traffic laws just by driving without a license, not to mention you can't even drive well, AND you put a six year-old girl in the passenger seat where, if you crash, she'd die. Well, we're demigods. Give us credit. Besides, driving a car isn't the most dangerous thing I've done.  
"We wait for something to happen," I told Erin. She didn't seem satisfied with my answer, but she accepted it. I learned that you shouldn't push prophecies. You just have to sort of let them run their course. My main concern was if it would play out in time. If Poseidon died before the prophecy was fulfilled, then it wouldn't help us at all. I kept my eyes on the road, and, having a weird hunch, exited the highway at the next exit which happened to be 47D.  
Now, if Erin hadn't asked a question and I hadn't turned to her, I might've noticed the sign that said "EXIT 47D TEMPORARILY CLOSED FOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION". Or, better yet, if I was paying better attention, I may have seen the sign repeated multiple times, including at the entrance of exit 47D.  
I glanced at the sky, noticing it getting dark. The road switched from cement to gravel which I found strange. Down this road I continued, oblivious to the fact that this road was being created and that I wasn't even supposed to go this way. The road became narrower and less civilized until I was driving through a forest. By now, darkness had totally consumed the place, and the only light source was not the moon, but my headlights, little beacons in the dark. Trees of huge sizes seemed to loom over the road, almost forming a tunnel. This looked like a scene straight out of "Nightmare on Elm Street."  
I continued to drive until the car began to slow down after three hours, coming to a halt. I glanced at the gas meter which was empty. I cursed myself for my lack of observational skills. Erin beside me was gazing at forest, confused.  
"We ran out of gas," I told her. "No biggie. We just have to continue on foot." She looked at the dark in apprehension, and I sighed. "Don't worry. The dark is nothing to be scared of, unless, of course, you've offended Hades which neither of us have." Erin nodded, and we both exited the car. I slung my bag over my shoulder after pulling out a flashlight and began walking, Erin following closely behind. I was looking for a clearing where we could settle down for the night. I wanted a place that was well hidden, but at the same time, it was safe from monsters.  
I lost track of how long we walked. My feet ached, and all I wanted to do was sit down. I had a feeling I wasn't going to do that anytime soon. Erin's legs had had enough when she fell over, crying. I walked some more, carrying an insanely skinny six year-old girl a good two or three miles before I stumbled on something I didn't want to see.  
A little girl was lying in the middle of the clearing, sprawled out on the floor. The poor thing looked no older than seven, her curly, honey blonde hair caked in dirt, covered in leaves, and slightly coated with blood. She had a nasty wound on her forehead, and it was bleeding. It looked like the result of a concussion. The little girl wore a torn tank top that was almost as dirty as her hair and looked like it was an adult male tank top so it was several sizes too big, hanging off her tiny frame. She wore faded and dirty blue jeans that looked like they had been through a shredder. They were completely saturated in blood, and I could assume that she had a couple of insanely deep and bleeding cuts on both her legs. Something that looked like sledgehammer lay about ten feet away from her, and I guessed that was the girl's weapon. From where I was standing, I couldn't tell if the girl was alive or not. I wanted to rush to her aid, but I hesitated. This girl was obviously a demigod; I could tell from the monster blood and dust all over her, but from looking at the way she was lying down and the distance of the hammer from her hand, I could tell she was attacked by some sort of monster who probably knocked her out. It looked like she hadn't gotten around to killing it, since her shirt had no sign of fresh monster blood. If that was the case, where was the monster?  
Erin noticed my unease for she hopped out of my arms and drew her knife. I drew Moonlight, wanting its length.  
"Show yourself," I said. It came out braver than I was. I had to protect Erin and this little girl. "Show yourself, you coward!" I heard muttering in the shadows.  
"Bad children," a raspy voice muttered. "You've been bad. You've all been bad children. Mormo bites bad children. Mormo must kill bad children." This voice droned on and on, gradually crescendoing to a shout. "MORMO KILLS BAD CHILDREN!" Erin hid behind me, terrified. Looks like I couldn't count on her for back-up.  
A figure jumped out of the shadows. It resembled a man, a really tall man. A tall man with shriveled up bat wings attached to his back. This man's irises were dark crimson, the color of blood. It smiled, and I saw its teeth, each of them sharpened to a tip. I realized the raspy sound of the man's voice was because of its tongue. It had a snake's tongue. "I shall feast on the blood of bad children," the creature hissed happily.  
"Erin, listen to me," I said, forcing my voice to be calm, but urging. My eyes never strayed from the monster in front of me. "Run. Stay in earshot though. No matter what you hear, don't come back to this clearing unless I call you. Now!" Erin obeyed, bolting. The creature flew at me, just like I'd hoped. It wanted to go after Erin because she was young, but it needed me out of the way. I dodged, slashing and missing by a second. The creature flee again, and I kept missing. This thing was driving me crazy. It was just too fast. Crap. The Mormo threw something at me, and I dodged, noticing that he was throwing his bloody teeth. That was slightly disgusting. I finally got a lucky shot and nicked the creature. It roared and bit me in the leg. I screamed in pain but was relieved to find the bites only hurt; they weren't poisonous.  
The Mormo must've realized that fighting me in the air was useless so it hit the floor, drawing a sword made of fire. There wasn't a water source anywhere near me, and I needed to extinguish the blade. After all, the second our swords met, the Celestial bronze of my sword would melt, rendering it useless. I thought desperately as it advanced. I remembered Sophia's knife. The blade was given to her by Poseidon, right? Could it be possible that it was fire-proof? I didn't have time to think it through as I threw Moonlight aside and drew Midnight, the gold metal glinting in the light. I made a quick prayer to Poseidon, Hephaestus, and Athena that it would work. After all, this was all I had.  
The Mormo swung its sword, and I deflected the blow with Midnight. The blade sizzled, the sound of water evaporating, but, thankfully, Midnight hadn't melted. The Mormo's sword, however, became engulfed in swirling droplets of water. The useless sword disappeared, and the Mormo growled at me  
"Bad girl," he muttered. "Must kill." I quickly lunged forward, stabbing it straight through the heart. The monster let out a loud screech before disintegrating.  
"Erin, you can come out now," I said, sheathing Midnight after making a silent prayer of thanks to the three gods. "It's dead." I limped toward my sword, picking it up before heading toward the little girl. Erin emerged from her hiding place in the woods. I knelt beside the girl and gently lifted her wrist, feeling for a pulse. There was one, a really weak one, but an apparent one. The girl was also unnaturally cold. That wasn't good.  
"Is she going to be okay?" Erin asked, eyeing the girl in concern as I rummaged through my pack.  
"I don't know," I told Erin honestly. "I haven't seen the full extent of her injuries yet." I glanced at the mangled girl. "Plus, I can't force-feed her any nectar. See those bite marks on her neck? I don't wanna risk feeding her with those there. She might choke. Plus, she's pretty young. She'll naturally have trouble drinking a liquid like that, Anyways, Erin, can you find some dry sticks? She's freezing. I'll light a fire." Erin nodded, leaving me with the girl.  
I pulled a couple of blankets from my backpack and a pillow. I spread two of the blankets on the grass, one on top of the other in a sort of makeshift bed. I lifted the girl in my arms and placed her on the blanket, putting the pillow behind her head. She was so tiny, I felt a sense of pity. Someone this young should have to be worrying about what dress her doll would wear tomorrow, not monsters and whether or not she'll be alive or have enough food the next day. I lifted her shirt and examined her stomach and back. Her back had a long gash straight down her spine which I disinfected and bandaged. A deep, foot long cut ran across her stomach, and it was bleeding nonstop. I disinfected that and used butterfly bandages to hold the cut together while putting gauze over it. I didn't know how to do stitches for wounds so I just improvised. I couldn't put bandages on her neck since it might restrict her breathing so I washed it with nectar until the cuts totally healed. I had noticed an abundance of blood seeping through her jeans earlier so I cut them to shorts, horrified at the sight in front of me.  
The extent of her injuries was huge. Up and down both her legs were bite marks. Deep bite marks. Some of them were bleeding like crazy, but I couldn't tell which ones because her entire leg was covered in blood. So that's where most of the blood had left her body. I wiped her legs with a rag soaked in rubbing alcohol, trying to get rid of all the dried blood. I didn't want to use too much nectar, afraid to burn her up, so I applied pressure to some of the deeper ones to slow the bleeding a bit. I used a little bit of nectar on a couple of the bite marks, then I just bandaged her legs as best as I could.  
The gash on her forehead looked worse than it was, and I just cleaned that up a bit and put a Band-Aid on it. She looked like she might've had a minor concussion, and I prayed to the gods that she didn't. I hadn't gotten that far in my first-aid training, and I didn't want to have to deal with things I hadn't learned about yet.  
I changed the girl out of her filthy clothes and into some of Erin's. Just as I finished, Erin came with a pile of sticks. I told Erin to place the sticks two feet from the girl which she obey. I lit the fire with a lighter I had in my bag. I knew a fire was a huge flare for monsters, but I wasn't too concerned. I had a feeling the Mormo was the only monster here.  
I rolled the leg of my jeans up, revealing the bite mark. It was not a deep bite, but it was deep enough to bleed so I used some rubbling alcohol to clean it up and bandage it. I glanced over at Erin, who looked ready to pass out. I tossed her my blanket and pillow. I was totally okay with sleeping on the grass.  
"Erin, you're exhausted," I told her. "Sleep." Erin didn't even argue; she curled up under the blanket and fell asleep. I smiled, and, instead of keeping watch, I fell asleep.  
I woke up the next morning before everyone else. I glanced at the sky, guessing that it was about six o'clock in the morning. I checked on the girl, feeling her forehead. I was happy to find her temperature almost normal. Her pulse, however, was still weak and her breathing still ragged. The girl stirred in her sleep, moaning. I pulled out a water bottle and a couple of packets of sugar that I kept in my first-aid kit. Sugar-water was the easiest way to replenish water in the body and help with blood loss. I mixed them together as I loomed over the girl, waiting for her to wake up. Her eyes fluttered open, revealing a pair of bright hazel-gray eyes. Her eyes had a blank look in them for a second, before they changed to one of obvious terror.  
"Monster!" she screamed, hiding under the covers. The poor thing was scared out of her mind.  
"It's okay," I told her, slowly removing the covers from her face. I smiled reassuringly, trying to look friendly. "I got rid of him." She looked up at me in awe.  
"You see them too?" she asked. "I'm not crazy?" I laughed. She was just so cute.  
"You're not crazy," I told her. "I see them too. They're real." The girl's expression changed to one of apparent relief. "What's you name, darling? How old are you?"  
"Karolena," the girl said. "I'm six."  
"I'm Melina." I said. Karolena sat up slowly, wincing. "That monster did some serious damage," I told her. "I bandaged you up." I handed her the bottle of sugar solution. "You lost quite a bit of blood," I explained when she gave it a perplexed look, "and this will help with it. It's just sugar and water." Karolena nodded and drank the solution. I gave her an ambrosia square and she also looked at it, baffled. "This is ambrosia," I explained. "It's a special food that heals, but you can't eat too much of it or you'll burn up. Same with the golden liquid I will give you. It's called nectar." She nodded and ate the ambrosia square and drank some nectar I gave her afterwards.  
"Are the Greek gods real?" Karolena asked, catching me by surprise as I was changing her bandages. "And is Mommy really a goddess?"  
"Um y-yeah," I stuttered as I recovered from my initial shock. "How did you know?"  
"Daddy used to tell me about Greek myths," she explained, "and these monsters that have been following me came from the stories. Also, the monsters kept calling me a 'half-blood'. Not to mention one of the monsters starting saying mean things about heroes like Hercules. 'Half-blood' is a demigod, right? So that means I'm a demigod?" Whoa. She was smart. Was her mom Athena? I looked at her grayish-hazel eyes. Most Athena children had grey eyes, but I guess it was possible for the child to have hazel-ish gray eyes and still be Athena's daughter. Still, that didn't seem right.  
"You're right," I told Karolena. "I'm a demigod as well. I'm the daughter of Poseidon, the god of the oceans. We have a camp that we go to where we train to fight monsters. After we finish this quest, we're going to go there. Right now, Poseidon's poisoned, and we have to find the antidote-"  
"-And Gaea's rising," Karolena interrupted. "I know. A couple of blabbermouth monsters told me." Again, I was amazed by how much this girl was able to piece together. After all, she was only six. Speaking of camp, I had call Chiron. I had to check on how Percy and Sophia were doing, not to mention update Chiron on the quest.  
"Hey, Karolena, is there a river near here?" I asked. She nodded and pointed. I nodded. "I'll be right back. I have to go make a call." I ran the direction she pointed in and reached a creek. It was thin and fast-moving, but a creek nonetheless. The warning Chiron gave me at camp flashed through my mind. "Avoid water." I ignored it and waded into it, feeling strength rushing through me. I concentrated hard, and with the tug of my gut, a mist formed in front of me, shining in the sunlight. I threw a drachma in there. "O goddess, accept my offering," I said. "Show me Chiron at Camp Half-Blood."  
Chiron was in the infirmary beside Sophia's bed. He had a hand to her forehead, probably feeling for a fever. The covers lay at the end of the bed, abandoned  
Sophia looked worse than ever. She used to be pale, but now her naturally tanned skin was slightly tinged gray, an effect of the poison. Dark bags were apparent under her eyes, and her cheekbones were apparent. Her normally pink lips were gray and cracked from lack of moisture and were bleeding a thick red, almost black, liquid. Her insanely skinny arms and legs were tied down tightly to the bed, and I could see rope burns, a sharp contrast off of the pale skin. Her veins were also apparent, and they were so dark, they looked fake, like someone had taken some black marker and traced them. Her fingernails were grey and cracked. Sophia looked like something out of a silent black-and-white movie.  
"Chiron," I said. Chiron glanced at the Iris Message for a moment as he placed a cool, wet cloth on Sophia's forehead. He grabbed the covers and spread them over Sophia, lifting them up to her mid-stomach. He turned to the Iris Message.  
"Hello, Melina," Chiron said sadly, glancing at Sophia. "No improvement I'm afraid. Her condition just keeps deteriorating. Her visions have stopped, but I believe that is only because she doesn't have the energy to move and scream anymore. Nectar and ambrosia still don't have an effect on her, and Will and I have stopped administering it. As for Percy, he's in his cabin, sleeping. He still wakes up and moves, but he's just really weak. He refuses to leave Sophia's side, and every time he falls asleep, Will just moves him to the Poseidon cabin. We don't want him to be around when she passes." Chiron looked like he had aged ten years. He hated seeing his campers in such disarray.  
His words kept ringing in my ears. We don't want him to be around when she passes. I glanced at Sophia. She was going to die. I couldn't do anything about it. I wanted to break down and cry right there. Sophia was my best friend. Every hardship I'd been through, Sophia was right there beside me. I couldn't imagine life without her. I felt like a huge piece of me crumbled, turning into dust. Memories of various times of our lives flashed before my eyes, from that time in the preschool where we met, up through when I saw her in Tartarus a while ago. Gods, we laughed, we cried...we've done just so much together. Why in Zeus' name were the Fates so cruel? We've suffered enough; we didn't need nor want any more of it.  
This just reminded me how fragile life really was. How it could end in the blink of an eye, yet leave so many people in sorrow for years. It was so powerful because it was instantaneous yet long-lasting. It was so depressing.  
"Melina," Chiron said, interrupting my melancholy thoughts. "Can you tell me about your quest so far?" I told Chiron about the entire quest. When I got to the part about Tartarus, Chiron glanced back at Sophia but didn't interrupt me. I told him about Erin and Karolena.  
"Chiron, you know what poisoned Poseidon, don't you?" I asked.  
"I've had my assumptions," Chiron said very solemnly "but Athena's riddle confirmed it. It is not my place, however, to tell you. By Zeus' orders, I cannot interfere with the quest, but I can tell you this, Melina; you know this. I know you do. It's simple. Don't over think it." Chiron smiled reassuringly. "You can do this. We all have absolute faith in you." Chiron cut the Iris message off, and I stood in the current, perplexed for a moment before returning to the camp site.

**Welcome, Karolena, into the PJ world! Feel free to review! I accept anonymous reviews! If you really like this, follow me on Twitter at writersmagnet! Tune in next Friday for the next installment!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Okay, so before you guys murder me, hear me out.**

**I know I'm a week late. I tried to publish it. I really did. But my school laptop (our school gives us laptops) decided to freak out on me and I had this chapter written on there! Ughhh! Thankfully, I hadn't lost it, but it took a good day for it to get fixed. Then, my school laptop wouldn't let me post this so I improvised and managed to get it on my phone, only for it to not copy-paste onto the Doc Manager. UGHHHHH! I got my regular laptop from the Apple store today, and I promise I will post Chapter 23 ASAP, before Friday then have Chapter 24 out on Friday. I'm working as hard as I can. Please don't kill me.**

**Anyways, y'all know the drill by know (Me no own) and so on wit ze chapter!**

**P.S. Have any of you read ****The Jungle**** by Upton Sinclair? We're reading it for class. AWESOME BOOK!**

I must've looked grim or something because the second I returned to our campsite, Erin was immediately concerned.

"What happened?" she asked. She must've woken up while I was gone.

"Sophia's gotten worse," I said, pushing down my emotions. I didn't know how much longer I could keep bottling all this up before exploding. I didn't want to find out. "Chiron's been keeping Percy away from her. He doesn't want Percy to be around when she-" I faltered, my voice cracking. I refused to let my self-control crumble, however, because I had to be strong for Erin and Karolena. Those two needed me now more than ever, and I couldn't just let them down. Erin crawled toward me and gave me a hug which I returned gratefully.

"She's going to be okay," she said. "We'll look harder." I couldn't help but smile at that. As mature as they act, they still believed that everything in life had a happy ending. I was beginning to think this quest was futile now. There was no way in Hades I was going to find the antidote before Poseidon, Percy, Sophia die.

Then a sudden realization hit me. If I didn't find the antidote fast enough, I'd go into a coma. I glanced over at Erin who were observing a ladybug that was on Karolena's arm. If I fell into a coma, there was no way in Hades they'd make it to Camp. They'd die alone out here. I couldn't let that happen. I wouldn't let that happen.

A scream wrenched me out of my thoughts. I drew Moonlight and ran towards it, recognizing the scream as Karolena's. When I was deep in thought, Erin and Karolena must've strayed from the campsite. I was freaking out. Did they get hurt? Karolena kept screaming and I found them standing in front of a tree. Erin was hiding behind Karolena, shivering. When Karolena saw me, her terror turned into crying. I scanned the scene, looking for any immediate threat and finding none. I sheathed Moonlight and held both children as they bawled into my shirt.

"The t-tree," Karolena hiccuped between sobs. "It t-talked."

"I don't enjoy being called an 'it'," a voice behind me said. I whirred around, drawing Star instinctively while putting my arms out to protect the kids. I breathed a sigh of relief as I sheathed Star.

A wood nymph stood in front of me. She was tall and slender, with a baby-like face. The whites of her amber eyes were slightly tinted green, an effect of the chlorophyll that was in her body. Long dark brown hair fell down her back in ringlets. She wore a simple flowing light green dress.

"I'm so sorry," I began. "These two just found out they were demigods. They still haven't met most creatures yet-"

"No need to apologize," Nancy said, raising a hand to shush me. "They didn't know. It was my fault for scaring them. I'm guessing you're Melina. I'm Nancy, a willow."

"No, you're Nancy the Tree," Erin argued.

"Willow."

"Tree."

"Willow"

"Tree."

"Erin!" I exclaimed. "I think Nancy is smart enough to know who she is." I smiled apologetically at Nancy, who was laughing. Karolena cautiously came out from behind me and approached Nancy. I noticed Karolena had a slight limp and her legs were trembling. I had to look at her leg again later and to make sure it wasn't anything serious.

"You live in the tree?" she asked shyly. Nancy squatted down to Karolena's height and nodded.

"I'm sorry I scared you guys, but yeah, I live in a tree. I'm a wood nymph. All wood nymphs live in trees, but we come out and play sometimes, just like you guys." Nancy tapped Karolena's nose, and she giggled cutely. I smiled. She may act mature, but she was still a six year-old. Nancy's smiled vanished suddenly as she stood up, meeting my eyes.I knew that look way too well, probably better than I should. I drew Moonlight. Erin and Karolena, sensing the sudden change in atmosphere, drew their weapons as well.

"Karolena, Erin, get behind me," I commanded. They obeyed. Nancy disappeared. Wood nymphs don't usually fight. It wasn't their forte, and they preferred to stay out of it. Slowly, a figure walked into the clearing.

It looked like it was a woman once upon a time. The woman's hair, however, was full of snakes, each one hissing. The woman's eyes looked like cat eyes, but the irises were the color of blood. Abnormally large lips bore teeth, each sharpened to a point in front of a snake's tongue. The woman was unnaturally skinny and her arms looked thin and wrinkly.

"Hello, Erin," the monster said, her voice sounding like the crumpling of paper and hisses. Erin stepped out from behind me, her knife in her hand.

"You're ugly," she said. "Ever heard of something called Aunty-Winkle cream? Mommy uses it all the time for her winkles. It works good." I resisted the urge to laugh. Aunty-Winkle cream? The urge immediately dissipated as I realized she probably pissed the living daylights off this monster when its eyes flared. I had to keep Erin in line before she got herself killed.

"You're Euryale," I said, grabbing Erin's arm. "One of Medusa's sisters. What do you want?" The gorgon's eyes flared with even more anger than they had earlier.

"I'm Stheno!" Stheno screamed. "But of course, you wretched half-blood all think I'm Euryale! At least Master promises me better recognition!" Master? There was someone else we had to worry about?

"What do you want?" I repeated, my patience wearing thin. Stheno smiled deviously. Fear welled up in me, but I pushed it away. I didn't want to deal with fear at that moment.

"We want you to surrender," she said. "Join us."

"That isn't going to happen." I retorted defiantly. Stheno smiled.

"Then we'll make you," she said."Come out, my pets."

A whole mass of monsters jumped out of the shadows. I hadn't realized it, but we were surrounded. I cursed myself as I deflected the first blow from a nearby empousa. I fought the first couple monsters, defeating them with ease. I was fighting a dracanae and heard a scream. It was Karolena. I faltered at the sound and the dracanae managed to slice me across the stomach. The pain didn't register, and I quickly stabbed the dracanae in the heart, disintegrating it. I ran to Karolena. She was wailing, the poor thing clutching her arm. Blood seeped in between her fingers.

"Erin, Erin," Karolena kept continuously sobbing. I looked around to find the surrounding area empty. Stheno must've retreated which I found odd

"Karolena, what happened? What about Erin," I asked her. A lump of dread grew in my throat. Was she okay?

"They took her," Karolena cried. "They took her, Melina. They took her."

**Review, favorite, kill me for that cliffy, whatever. Tune in soon for Chapter 23 (probably Sunday). Follow me on Twitter at writersmagnet! I love y'all to Hades and back! **


	23. Chapter 23

**Hey guys! In order to compensate for being gone, I posted this chapter early. I know it's short and not the best written, but it's better than that cliffhanger I left last chapter. I would've made it longer, but my friends were all like, "If you don't post it now, I'm going to hurt you," especially the one who Erin is based off of. I ACCEPT ANONYMOUS REVIEWS SO REVIEW! FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER AT WRITERSMAGNET! Oh, and I love you guys. You know the drill, and here's the pitifully short Chapter 23!**

Oh, gods. How could I let that _happen_?

I collapsed beside Karolena, totally numb. I was an absolute _failure._ I could never do_ anything_ right_. _First, I passed out for days when everyone needed me. I can't figure the riddle for the poison out, and Sophia's going to die. I couldn't protect Erin, and Karolena is injured because I couldn't protect her either. I wanted to punch a wall. Why was I so _useless_? I wanted to cry, but I refused to. I wouldn't show weakness in front of Karolena for.

"Karolena, let's go to the campsite," I said, standing up. I knew it was useless looking for Erin. The monsters were probably gone. Karolena tried to stand up, only to have her legs collapse beneath her. Her leg was worse than I thought. Another failure on my part. I picked her up and led to the clearing. Karolena was sobbing into my shirt, from pain or misery I didn't know. I caused Karolena this much pain. I wanted to punch myself at this point but resisted the urge. I kept murmuring stuff like "Don't worry, It'll be okay," and "We'll find her." I knew I was reassuring myself more than anyone.

We reached the clearing and I put Karolena down on a blanket. She gave me her arm as I pulled out some bandages, cotton balls, and rubbing alcohol. Earlier she had some nectar for her legs. I wasn't going to give her anymore.

I wiped the blood off her hands and began working on the cut. It wasn't too deep, thankfully, and I wrapped it up with bandages. I told her to lie down while I worked on her legs. By the time I was done, she was fast asleep. It was growing dark, which I found odd since it only felt like a couple hours since we had woken up. I grabbed another blanket and threw it over Karolena. She was gripping her sledgehammer close, and I realized that she'd need a better weapon. I didn't dwell on that now.

The entire day flitted through my memory, and I began to cry. I couldn't stop the tears that fell down my face. I hugged my knees, just feeling really miserable. Heart-broken sobs escaped my mouth as the little voice in my head tortured me with every wrong I had ever commited.

_I let Erin slip through my fingers._ What did I do that? I should've watched her more carefully. Maybe if I had been better at protecting her, it wouldn't have happened.

A sound in the woods interrupted my thoughts. I drew Moonlight and stood up, tears still trailing down my face. Nico Di Angelo walked out of the woods. I turned around quickly, not wanting him to see my crying while I composed myself. After a second, I managed to pull myself together and turned to Nico, who was walking toward me.

"Hey," he said. He looked around for a second. "Where's Percy?"I wanted to punch him for asking that question. I felt myself break a little more.

"The poison's gotten to him," I said, straining to keep my voice sounding normal. I turned around again to regain my composure, but I ended up just shattering. A tear slipped down my cheek. A pair of arms wrapped around my waist. I felt the electricity span my body from his touch, but it didn't make me feel better.

"Hey, Melina, it's okay," Nico said soothingly. I just broke out into full sobs right then and there. Karolena stirred in her sleep. Nico must've guessed she was someone I was taking in for he didn't comment and just said, "Come on. Let's take a walk. We'll wake her up if we stay." I nodded and he shifted himself so he had an arm around my shoulder instead. We walked out of the clearing, and when we were a safe distance away, Nico began to talk.

"Hey," he asked. "What happened?" The guy sounded so sincere, I just crumbled and told him everything he needed to know. He was listening intently, and I was grateful for that.

"You know," he began when I had finished. "I lost my sister when I was twelve. I felt like I was a failure. She abandoned me to join the Hunters, and I thought it was because I was a terrible brother. When she went on a quest with Percy, she..." His voice cracked, and I saw beneath that shell of impassiveness. He was broken inside, a total mess of pain and misery. He put up his shield to protect himself from the pain that was eating him up on the inside. The change was instantaneous because his shield was right back up.

"Well, she died," he finished. "I thought I was useless. Why didn't I go instead of her?" He turned to me, putting his hands on my shoulders. "I blamed myself. I could've gone with her and made sure she stayed safe, but I didn't. I've accepted the fact that I couldn't change what the Fates have done. They may be cruel, but we have to live with them. And we can't change what happened. Instead, let's just make it right. Quit beating yourself up over this. We'll start looking for Erin and the poison in the morning." He led me back to the camp site where we lay down on blankets next to each other and just talked. Before I knew it, I fell asleep.

**Nico's back! Haha, tune in Friday and we'll see if Melina and Nico can put their heads together and figure out the riddle. GUESS WHO ERIN'S DAD IS IN THE REVIEWS BELOW! WHOEVER'S RIGHT WILL GET A SNEAK PEEK OF THE CHAPTER!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Hey y'all! Writersmagnet is BACK! I'm sorry for not updating in forever. I had a TERRIBLE case of writer's block that I have just overcome. I appreciate all the support I was getting! Happy 2013!**

**Now, before I continue, I want to say something. If you guys saw the author's note, it said that I was going to start editing all the spelling and grammatical and errors and stuff in Sophia. I was reading it the other day and I wanted to cringe. THE PLOT LINE WON'T CHANGE! I eventually will do the same to Melina, but it won't be as extensive. The first edited chapter of Sophia should be out next week or so. The updates on it wont be regular, it'll pretty much be when I have time. GO ahead and check them out as they come out!**

**Now without further adieu, here's Chapter 24!**

Being a demigod sucks. Trust me, I speak from experience.

The dreams though are the worst part. You can't blow the scary ones off as a nightmare because they aren't, and they never leave you alone for more than a few days.

I was in a dark place. It was a room in a cave of sorts. Everything looked like it was made of pure obsidian, and it glistened like it was wet or something. Stalactites were hanging from the ceiling, and I noticed they were sharpened to a delicate point. The cave was dark, except for a couple of torches, giving off a dim light. There was I saw Erin huddled in a corner. She looked unhurt, but it was obvious she was freezing in the cold of the cave. Her eyes were red with tears and her nose was running. I could hear her teeth chattering, but it looked weird because her lips were moving. I strained to listen and realized after a minute that it was a prayer.

"Dad, if you're out there and you love me, please send me a jacket," Erin prayed quietly. "I'm so cold. I'm scared. These people aren't nice, and they're hurting my friends. I don't like them. They talk about hurting more people to raise Gaea. I don't want anyone to get hurt. _Please_, do _something_." I wanted to cry. Erin had such a strong belief in the gods. I lost that faith a while ago. Those guys rarely listen. They don't really care about us. As far as they care, we're inconvenient mistakes; products of strong lust and greed. I wasn't going to tell her that though. I didn't want to break her heart.

A door that I hadn't noticed in the corner opened. Erin started edging as far away as she could from the door.

I watched as Stheno walked in, a cyclops with her. I began to wonder why Nemesis and Stheno both had cyclopes. Did the cyclopes team up with them? If that was the case, was Poseidon's domain breached? He _was _the only god with an army of cyclopes. Shit.

Stheno walked toward Erin, who was shaking in fear.

"You think that he'll give in?" asked the cyclops. Who is he talking about?

"He has no choice," Stheno replied, touching Erin's cheek. She shivered. "After all, he's her daughter. Plus, those wretched children would never leave this girl here with us. They will attempt to rescue her, and then we can get rid of that wretched daughter of Poseidon once and for all. She's unpredictable, and she knows too much. With her out of the picture, the poison can kill Poseidon and we can take over Olympus. Master will be waiting for them. He has a...way...with children of Poseidon." She laughed, and Erin recoiled further.

"You sure Lord Dyeus-" the cyclops began, who was abruptly cut off by Stheno.

"That godling is here!" Stheno hissed, literally. She met my gaze, looking straight into my eyes. "She's way too unpredictable for her own good. How could you not have sensed her?" The cyclops flinched, and Stheno waved her hand. She murmured something, and I was abruptly shoved out of my dream.

I woke up in cold sweat, shooting into a sitting position. I felt resistance, and realized Nico's arms were around me. I blushed. He hadn't woken up yet (he truly slept like the dead), and he hadn't even stirred when I woke up. I watched him sleep for a minute. He was so adorably cute. The dark, stressed-out expression on his face seemingly melted away. His rosy (and totally kissable!) lips were slightly parted which only made him look cuter.

I glanced up at the sky. It looked like it was about two o'clock in the afternoon. Damn. We were losing time. I shook Nico awake, and he immediately drew his sword, a reflex that most of us demigods have learned to acquire.

"Is everything alright?" he asked me. I nodded, and he sheathed his midnight black sword. He studied me for a minute. "You had a demigod dream, didn't you?" I nodded again. Gods, he could read me so well.

"That's not my problem right now though," I told Nico. I pointed at the sky. "We're running out of time. Plus, we're both chidren of the Big Three. If that's the case, we need to move. All the monsters within a ten mile radius know we're here. The last thing we need is another monster attack." Nico nodded.

"You've got a point," Nico said, shifting his position on the blanket, "but here's the thing, at the moment that isn't really important. Your demigod dream might give us a clue about the antidote. Then we can move." I sighed, not liking this. "I can shadow travel us." I raised an eyebrow.

"Shadow travel?"

"It's a son of Hades thing," he explained. "It's like teleporting. I kinda manipulate the shadows to take me to a certian place. Now, tell me your dream." I told him everything, and he slowly paled (which I didn't think was possible for him seeing as he was already insanely pale.

"What?" I asked. "Is everything okay?" Nico glanced up at me.

"What was the name the cyclops said again?"

"Umm..." I racked my brain. "Dyeus."

"This is exactly what I was scared of," Nico said, talking to himself.

"What?" I asked insistently again. What was so bad about that name? Then I put the pieces together."Oh Styx," I said. "Erin is Zeus's daughter."

**None of you guys saw that coming now did you? FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER AT WRITERSMAGNET AND REVIEW! Tune in next Friday for Chapter 25!**


	25. Chapter 25

**I'm sorry for this being late! I went through some tough times because someone I care about really dearly is in the hospital, and I couldn't even hear her name without bursting into tears. This chapter starts the beginning of the climax, and I'm really excited to finish this and write the final story.**

**Karolena's mom will be revealed in a couple of chapters. Guess in the reviews below**

**Updates will now be every Friday (as per usual) so expect one this friday. PLEASE REVIEW AND FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER AT WRITERSMAGNET! I LOVE YOU GUYS!**

**Now, without further adieu, here's Chapter 25!**

Zeus?

Oh gods. This means Zeus broke his oath, not once, not twice, but thrice. He had Thalia's brother, who disappeared when Thalia was really young, then there was Thalia herself, and now Erin.

I buried my head in my hands when the realization hit. These guys have captured Erin to get to Zeus. I flashed back to when I first found Erin. She was so naïve and small, a poor thing caught in the crossfire of millenia of godly arguments.

My resentment toward the gods increased exponentially. The gods leave our human parents, not caring about the unborn child and how much pain they're causing the human parent and the child. When the child is born, they dump us away, they don't care about us, and then later they expect us to save their godly butts from some crap they decided to get themselves into.

I lay down on the blanket, my fingers absentmindedly tracing the blood vessels and scars on my wrist. My body was full of this godly blood, and all it was giving me was nothing but trouble. I wish I had remained human. Then Mom wouldn't have gone crazy because Poseidon left. I would've lied a normal life, where my biggest worry was whether or not someone would ask me out to homecoming

At that moment, I felt a really bad stinging sensation in my upper stomach. My hand instinctively went to my abdomen. Nico saw my face scrunch up in pain, and he loomed over me, watching my face in concern. He glanced down at my stomach, and his eyes widened.

"Melina," he said, putting a hand on top of mine. The usual electricity spanned my body, but it seemed to make the pain worse. My grip on my t-shirt strengthened. "Melina," Nico repeated tenderly. "Relax. Tensing up is going to make everything worse." I tried my best to listen to him, but the pain kept increasing without end. I struggled to stay conscious.

"Don't pass out on me," Nico urged me as my vision went red. He put a square of ambrosia in my mouth. It should've made everything better, but instead, it made everything worse. I blacked out.

I didn't recognize the place I was when I came to. It was a forest, but it wasn't familiar. The forest looked very coniferous, while the other looked more like an oak forest or similar trees. It was obviously nighttime, probably around midnight. I was lying on a blanket, feeling completely drained. I felt weak but not tired, more like something was drawing at my strength. My stomach was still throbbing viciously. I could hear someone approach, and I carefully drew Midnight, prepared to attack.

A familiar voice sent butterflies through my stomach. _Nico_. "Melina, it's me," he said. I pressed the trident, turning the blade back into a ring. He kneeled beside me as I sat up, wincing.

"What in Zeus happened?" I asked, gripping my upper stomach. He glanced down at my hand.

"Someone had slashed you in the upper stomach when Erin got kidnapped." Nico told me. I vaguely remembered a dracanae doing that. I groaned. I was an idiot. Nico gestured toward Karolena, who was sleeping on a nearby blanket. "She told me she noticed blood seeping through your shirt when you tended to her arm. We had a bit of monster issue, so I had to move us to this forest here. It's up in northern Wisconsin. As for your stomach, I ran out of bandages. I went to a nearby store and bought some. I just got back." He pulled out the bandages and his canteen of nectar as he stared at my shirt uncomfortably, like he didn't want to say what he was going to say next.

"Melina, the cut is really up there," he said. "You need to take off your shirt so I can see it."

Oh gods. He had to say that. My cheeks burned with embarrassment, which I hope didn't show in the dark. Why did guys have to make everything so awkward?

I didn't see an alternative so I carefully peeled off my blood-soaked shirt. I blushed even harder when I looked down to see that all my scars were revealed. They criss-crossed my body in thin dark pink lines, contrasting my pale skin as they told a story of prolonged abuse and neglect. Blood dripped down from a long cut across my upper stomach, coating some scars. Nico stared at them for a second, which made me turn even redder.

"Melina..." he said, tracing a couple. His fingers were cold, and I shivered.

"My mom went crazy after Poseidon left," I told him. "She became addicted to drugs, and when she was drunk or high, she'd beat me." I chucked dryly. "That's why I'm a year-round camper." He looked up at me.

"Melina, wow. I'm sorry," he said. I laughed.

"It wasn't your fault. You don't need to apologize." Nico took his hand away from my scars as he grabbed his canteen of nectar and my bloody shirt. He looked me straight in the eyes as he positioned the mouth of the canteen over the cut. "Melina," he cautioned, "this is going to sting. Badly." I nodded as he poured the nectar on the cut.

Now, I've had nectar poured on cuts billions of times, but this time it was like liquid fire was being poured on me. I screamed and Nico began apologizing. My vision was turning a deep red as I heard myself scream some more. I could vaguely see through the red haze of pain. Nico was giving the cut a confused look as he stopped pouring the nectar. With a shaky hand, I wiped away the tears that trailed down my cheek and glaced down at the cut, only to find it more inflamed and bleeding even heavier.

"What's going on?" Karolena asked frantically. The poor six year-old had been cruelly awakened by my painful screams.

"Karolena, it's fine," Nico told her. "Go back to sleep." Karokena hit the pillow and was out like a light. Nico, on the other hand, examined the cut strangely.

"This shouldn't be happening," he murmured. He handed me a square of ambrosia. "Let's try this instead." I ate the square, surprised to not find any pain. At the same time, I didn't feel the same sweet relief the ambrosia usually gave me. It was like it wasn't working.

Nico glanced at the cut after I ate the godly food. It hadn't healed. I thought abot it for a minute, and then it clicked.

"Nico," I said carefully. "The poison...it's finally gotten to me. That's why this isn't working." Nico didn't seem surprised as he grabbed my bloody t-shirt and began cleaning me up.

"It was going to happen sooner or later," Nico told me. "Now we have to hurry. You probably have a day or two at the most. Athena gave you a riddle. What was it?"

And so as Nico bandaged the cut, I told him about the weird "Little Crowned King" riddle and what Poseidon had told me. The second I finished telling Nico, he paled significantly.

"What?" I asked as he tossed me another Camp Half-Blood shirt to put on. "You know what this is, don't you?" He nodded.

"Melina," he said, almost as though he wasn't exactly sure how he wanted to say it. "It's really easy when you see it. When Poseidon told you the riddle, he meant to not over think it. The sea consists of _water,_ Melina. Now think."

I began putting the small pieces together. _Baleus_ was obviously important since Sophia was murmuring it. But "Little Crowned"? It was strange.

I then remembered something Sophia was talking about one day. Something about a snake that was easy to identify by the little crown on its head. It was considered the king of fall snakes, even though it was mythological.

Then it clicked. The antidote was basilisk blood.

"Oh gods," I said. Nico nodded grimly. "You aaren't serious. A basilisk?"

"That mythological creature was one of the few creatures that evolved over time," Nico explained. "It moved from Egyptain myths, to Greek, to Roman, and so on, embedding itself in many cultures over the years. Basilisks are fairly rare and are pretty hard to find. I can only think of one place that has them..." His voice trailed off as his face darkened. My heart skipped a beat in fear. Chiron had talked to be about them, but we hadn't even thought about them even being awake at this point. But it looks like they were. I remembered what Stheno had said about her master having a 'way with children of Poseidon'. I met Nico's eyes.

"It's Polybotes. And he has Erin."

**Tune in next Friday for the next chapter! **


	26. Chapter 26

**Okay, okay. I know I'm late. Give me credit; my friend's still pretty sick, and I've been worried to death about her. Not to mention I just got insanely sick, and I also had to perform in two shows this week. Next week I also have auditions for another show. It's insane. I promise next week's will come out of time!**

**I also have a challenge for you guys. Who's Karolena's mommy? She will be revealed next chapter. Leave your guess in the reviews, and don't forget to review and favorite! Also follow me on Twitter at writersmagnet!**

**Y'all know the drill by now (I do not own PJ, as much as I want to) and here's Chapter 26!**

There was one expression I'd never understood until now: killing two birds with one stone.

Sure, it made sense when someone explained it, but it had never really sunk in. I mean, how can you get two things done at once without screwing one of them up?

But now it made sense. I mean, I was saving Erin and getting the antidote at the same time, right?

Nico summoned a couple of dead people (which was insanely creepy) in order to find out Polybote's and Stheno's hideout. He eventually did get us a location. It was a cave in Missouri that used to be a part of the Underground Railroad during the Civil War (which was actually a demigod war that humans managed to get themselves enttangled in). We also learned that Polybotes could only be defeated if a god and demigod both work together. Where were we going to find a willing god to help us?

The entire time Nico and I had been preparing and discussing battle strategy for Polybotes, he kept giving me a weird look. It was a look of concern and wariness, almost like he expected me to pass out any minute. I hadn't realized it earlier, but my strength was deteriorating rapidly. I guess everything that was going on had made me ignorant to my state of health. A huge weight of exhaustion was hovering over me, and I refused to give in to it. I had to stay strong until at least we got back to camp. Then, at least if I passed out, everyone would be safe.

As I began packing everything up, I glanced at the bracelet that one of the gods had given me during that one dream. I had a feeling I would need it to help get the antidote ans save Erin, so I slid it around my wrist. The bracelet was cold, and I shivered.

I went to go wake Karolena as sunrise approached, only to find her blanket empty.

"Hey, Nico?" I asked. "Have you seen Karolena?" He nodded.

"She went that way," he pointed. I thanked him and walked in that direction, my hand on my arm in case I had to draw Star. Lately, Moonlight felt really heavy, another sign I was growing weak, so I wasn't exactly sure how well I could fight with it.

After a couple of minutes of running, I saw a figure sitting on the bed of a nearby creek. The figure's bare feet dangled down, brushing the water. The moonlight reflected off a coil of curly blonde hair, an dI recognized the figure as Karolena. I took off my green Converse and sat beside her, dangling my feet in the creek. I was a little startled when I realized the water wasn't giving me strength anymore. This poison must be really dehabilitating. Anyways, Karolena and I sat there, starting up at the sky. Karolena broke the silence.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice not much higher than a whisper. "Nico told me you were hurt badly and tired." I winced. I wanted Karolena to feel safe, and her knowing that I was weak was not exactly the best way to reinforce that. Then again, getting stabbed in the arm wasn't the best way either.

"I'm fine," I half-lied. "Why are you out here by yourself? Do you wanna talk about it?" She just continued to stare at the sky for a couple of minutes before replying, not taking her eyes off the horizon.

"I just wonder if Mom loves me," she said. "Daddy told me she had left the second she found out she was going to have me, and when I was born, she just dropped me off and left. Daddy used to tell me that she loved me very much and that she was very busy, but still, wouldn't she at least come and visit? Or maybe come in my dreams?" My heart just shattered. I knew how that felt. All of us demigods did. It was depressing. Not only that, but a six year-old should not be thinking like this. They should be happy and ignorant while they could. I hated seeing Karolena mature like this, but I figured it was for the better. This demigod lifestyle was not for the immature.

I wrapped my arms around Karolena and hugged her tightly. "Your mom loves you," I told her. "Why would she hate you?" Karolena looked down into the creek.

"I've been a very bad girl," she replied, a tear escaping her eyes.

"Why?"

"I brought monsters to Daddy's house," she whispered so quietly, I had to lean in. "Daddy took me outside one day and told me that he loved me, but I didn't belong there. He told me that I had to learn to be a big girl and live on my own. He told me I had to make a new family of people just like me, with special mommys and daddys in a camp. Then he told me that place would be where I would be safe, and when I got there, to call him. Then he just left me outside alone in the dark. I was scared. I hit and kicked the door all night, but he didn't open it." Karolena leaned into me and began sobbing. They were horrible heartbroken sobs that seemed to pierce me like a dagger each time, slowly ripping my soul to shreds. I held her tightly, stroking her hair as everything she'd been keeping in for so long poured out of her. Eventually, her sobs turned to whimpers.

"Come on, Karolena," I urged gently. "Let's head back to Nico. He must be worried about us." She reluctantly stood up as I pulled my feet out of the water. I instantly felt much weaker than when I put my feet in. I felt so weak, I didn't think I could stand. I remembered Chiron's warning about avoiding the water and realized that the water was actually making the poison more concentrated in my blood. I dizzily stood up as I led Karolena back to where we had set camp.

When we got back to our campsite, Nico looked up from what he was doing. He must've noticed my discoordination for he rushed over and steadied me.

"Karolena, can you finish packing? I have to help Melina with something." She nodded and ran over to her abandoned blanket, stuffing it in the nearest bag. Nico sat me down against a tree. "Melina, I think you should go Camp. You're in no-"

"I'm fine," I said, cutting him off. I wasn't leaving him and Karolena by themselves like that. Besides, Polybotes was born to oppose Poseidon. It was only right that Poseidon's daughter brought about his downfall.

It was more than that though. I didn't want to leave because it felt like admitting defeat. It was probably the Athena within me, but I was not admitting defeat. Everyone depended on me. I was not going to let them down.

I thought of the dream I had a while back. Sophia had a few days at most. I couldn't let her die. She was my best friend and half-sister. It was like I was hanging off a cliff to my downfall, but Sophia saved me, giving me her hand and pulling me up. Now Sophia was the one about to fall off the cliff, and I have to give her my hand and pull her up, even if it meant risking everything I had.

But right now, it felt like our fingertips were brushing each other. If my arm was a centimeter longer, I could save her, but she was just out of my reach. It was frustrating.

I thought of Percy. My half-brother was probably in a coma by now. A flash of Percy's face flashed through my mind. He was so happy and carefree. If something happened to him, so many people would be affected. Not to mention Annabeth would probably go ballistic.

"What are you thinking about?" Nico asked, sitting next to me. I shrugged.

"Nothing really," I lied. He raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He looked me over, his usual poker face morphing into concern.

"Melina, can you even fight?" he asked. I nodded. He shot me a skeptical look, but dropped the topic. He gave me a can of Coke. "Drink it," he commanded. "You need the caffiene." He headed over to help Karolena finis packing as I drank the Coke. The sugar gave me some strength, and by the time it was time to leave, I could walk and hold my own in a fight. Nico grabbed Karolena and me and we shadow traveled to what could be one of the hardest fight of my life.

But I didn't try to dwell on it.

**Tune in next Friday for the action! DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER AT WRITERSMAGNET!** **Who's Karolena's mother? Leave your guesses in the Reviews!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Hey guys! I'm sorry I'm so late1 I planned to make this chapter long, but I didn't have time so I split into two. I'm sorry! I'll make it up to you! **

**Here's the long-awaited Chapter 27!**

We appeared a good couple yards from the cave, hidden by a couple of trees.

Nico and I had a plan somewhat figured out, but when we saw the guard at the front, our plan was tossed out the window.

"Di immortales!" Nico cursed. "Those guards were not there earlier!" He began to glow, and I calmed him down. I did not need an unstable son of Hades right now.

"Nico, what's di immortales?" Karolena asked innocently. I smacked Nico.

"Don't cuss in front of the little kid!" I scolded. Nico just laughed. As Nico explained to Karolena that di immortales was a bad word, I glanced at the guards. They were two large cyclopes, each about twenty feet tall in full Greek battle armor. Both of them wielded a huge club. My mind drew a blank as to some sort of plan; I just couldn't think. The poison must also affect my blessed-by-Athena abilities. Perfect. Just perfect

I looked down at Karolena, who was sucking her thumb. I couldn't drag her into this fight. She was only six. Not to mention she didn't have a weapon. It would be homicide.

"Karolena, how about you wait out here?" I suggested. If she hid, she'd probably be okay as long as she didn't do anything stupid.

"No!" she said determined, crossing her arms. She said it in such away that I was briefly reminded of a five year-old boy at a playground when he refused to leave. "I'm going." I tried to reason with her, but she was adamant. We compromised, saying that she'd stay out of the fight, but she could come. She was happy with that arrangement.

Nico walked to stand beside me, Karolena to his left. His face turned grim as he looked at the monsters.

"How do you feel about Battle Plan Macedonia?" Nico asked. I analyzed the situation, noticing how bad I was at that now that the blessing was gone. I figured Battle Plan Macedonia would work for this situation. I turned to Nico.

"Let's do this," I said, drawing my sword. I felt it for a second before drawing Star instead. Moonlight was still way too heavy for me, despite me feeling better than I had earlier. Nico concentrated on the ground in front of him, his lips moving in a silent prayer.

"Serve me," he finished as a skeletal minion sprouted from the ground. I yelped, jumping backwards as Karolena hid behind Nico, shivering. The bracelet one of the gods had given me grew significantly warm around my wrist. Nico pointed toward one of the cyclopes and the skeleton hobbled off, sword in hand.

Let me give you a brief explanation of Battle Plan Macedonia. It was basically one person distracts while the other sneaks up and attacks. Since the giant was so big, we had to change the plan up a little. We used the skeleton as a distraction while Nico and I both fought together to kill it. We had to do so quietly though, or the giant could alert Stheno we were here.

As the skeleton kept the giant busy, Nico and I readied our weapons. We snuck up on the giant and killed it before it made a sound. Karolena ran toward us as we slowly walked into the cave.

The Mist is a powerful magical force that hides the godly world from mortals. Demigods and certain special mortals are the only ones able to see through the Mist. Sometimes, the Mist amazes me. I mean, how can mortals not notice a giant drakon chasing after a thirteen year-old boy down Long Island Sound?

This was one of those holy-crap-how-did-the-Mist-hide-this moments. The inside of the cave looked like a stereotypical mansion, with a huge staircase straight down the middle of the room. There were doors everywhere, and everything was royal purple trimmed with gold. The entire entry hall was lit with torches. The room was empty, and I found this slightly suspicious. Where was everyone?

The weird silver bracelet began to burn. I took it as a premonition. As I tried to decide what door to go to in order to find Erin, Karolena tugged on my pant leg.

"Melina," she said, looking at a nearby door. "That door is glowing." She pointed at a door across the hall. I looked at it. It wasn't glowing at all. Could this be one of her demigod abilities? I've never heard of a demigod child like that. Maybe she was a daughter of Hecate? Either way, I decided to listen to her.

I cautiously opened the door, careful to be as quiet as possible. It was a set of stars, leading down to a basement of sorts. There was one torch illuminating the stairs which led to darkness. I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Melina," Nico whispered, not wanting to alert whoever was down there of our presence. "I should go in first. I can see better than in the dark." I backed off and let him go first. After all, who was I to deny the powers of a son of Hades?

We cautiously walked down the stairs, praying that they didn't creak. By the time we got midway down the stairs, it was pitch black. I drew Star, using the celestial bronze as a dim light. Karolena was shivering in fear, obviously terrified of the dark, so I took her hand. She squeezed it, obviously thankful for the comfort.

I squinted my eyes. I couldn't seen Nico in front of me since it was so dark, but I searched for his figure, surprised to find nothing.

Suddenly, I felt dizzy, the world spinning around me. I tripped at the last stair, and a pair of strong arms caught me. From the light of my blade, I saw Nico. A huge sense of déjà-vu flooded through me as I remembered when I fell in the Underworld. He had the exact same look on his face; where his mask shattered to reveal a lonely and worried young boy who had seen too much of life in a short span of time. Gods, he was so hot.

I must've passed out or something because when I came to, Nico was carrying me. The world was dizzy and out of focus, but I was able to make out his face from the light of my knife which was still in my hand. I shifted my position in his arms, and he looked down at me, surprised.

"You're awake," he said. Through the blur, I could see his mouth stretch into a smile of relief. "You just passed out. I was scared the poison..." He trailed off. He shifted me in his arms, positioning his bicep behind my neck. His face scrunched up in concern. "Melina, you're burning up."

My muddled mind comprehended this information. It was slow, but eventually the words sunk in. You're burning up. Uh oh. That's the second symptom Sophia had before she fell into the coma.

Nico stopped moving, setting me down on the floor. Karolena sat down behind my head, and I felt her taking my long hair and absentmindedly braided it.

"HowlongwasIout?" I mumbled. It came out as all one word, but Nico seemed to understand the gist of it.

"A couple of minutes," he said, shrugging as though it was no big deal. He examined me further, his eyes lingering on my upper chest where the cut was. "Melina, let's rest here for a couple of minutes. You're obviously not in a good condition, and I'm not doing this alone. I need another Big Three kid with me." When he finished that statement, my vision immediately cleared. My mind wasn't befuddled anymore. My fever was still there, but it was something I could easily ignore. I was also even weaker than before, but I refused to let myself cave in.

"It's fine," I assured him. "Let's go." He raised an eyebrow, obviously surprised at my sudden change.

"Porter, can you even stand?" he asked, calling me by my last name. I stood up, ignoring the minor dizziness that followed. I nodded. He gave me a skeptical look, but he knew we were losing time so we stood up and kept walking.

Eventually we reached a door. I turned to Karolena.

"Is this one also glowing?" I asked through the weird mental haze I was in. She nodded. I took it as a good sign and Nico and I fell into battle position. Nico reached for the doorknob since he could see it best from the light of my blade. He opened the door as cautiously as possible, both of us ready to strike at any moment.

A torch was lit in this room, making everything easier to see. Except for the door, the room looked like a regular cave interior with large stalagtites and stalagmites everywhere. The room was a good twenty degrees colder than the house, and Nico and I could see our breath in the air. Water dripped from the ceiling, only adding to the cold temperature of the room. I shivered. It was freezing.

Huddled in the corner was a small figure. The child was curled up in a ball, barely breathing. The kid was soaked to the skin. The clothes the person was wearing were so torn, it looked like the child wasn't even wearing any. The shorts the person was wearing was practically ripped underwear, and the shirt was practically nonexistent. Hair was tangled all over the person's face, making it nearly impossible to recognize the poor prisoner. But I did.

It was Erin. She was obviously passed out, and my first worry was hypothermia. It was so cold, and she wasn't really wearing anything to combat it. She was breathing really slowly, and I could vaguely categorize that as a symptom of hypothermia. Shit. Nico cursed under his breath as he took his shirt off. I turned away, afraid that my face would betray my feelings toward Nico. I mean, _come on_. You could not deny the fact that Nico was insanely hot.

Anyways, I rushed toward Erin, my hazy mind vaguely remembering the blanket I held in my left hand. Erin stirred as I sat down next to her. I examined her face, noticing that her lips were blue and her skin was clammy. Erin shivered in her sleep as Nico knelt on the other side of her, his shirt in his hands. I slowly shook Erin awake, and she slowly woke up, obviously drowsy. She seemed to recognize us, but she didn't have energy to move, so she just closed her eyes again. Nico gave me a grim look. It was obvious at this point that she had hypothermia.

My first priority in my foggy mind was to get her out of the wet clothes. Nico gave me his shirt as he turned around, giving Erin some modesty as I cut the rags off of her. Karolena, having moved from her spot in the doorway, helped me get Erin into Nico t-shirt, which fell past Erin's knees. I wrapped the blanket around Erin, lifting her off the floor.

"Let's get her out of here," I told Nico. "She needs the warmth outside, not to mention some nectar. I'm not exactly sure whether or not she has hypothermia, but it's obvious she's beyond freezing." My knees gave out under me as I said that, and I probably would've dropped Erin if it weren't for Nico's quick instincts. He steadied me, carefully moving Erin to one arm while wrapping his other arm around my waist

"Easy there, Owlfish," he said, smiling. I looked up at him. We were so close, and I could feel his breath. He was a good head taller than me, and he looked down at electricity spanned through my body, and I couldn't take it anymore. I leaned up and kissed him.

Nico pulled away from the kiss at first, clearly surprised, but he soon began to kiss me back. It felt like we had melted into one. Heat spanned through my veins, and I felt my knees grow weak. His lips were soft and sweet, and they fit perfectly into mine. He kissed me harder, with an almost animal-like hunger, and I just couldn't keep up.

The moment was perfect, until we were interrupted by a familiar voice. "Whatcha doing?"

**Tune in next Friday(hopefully!) to see the epic rescue, and who was mean enough to interrupt this blossoming romance. WHO IS KAROLENA'S MOTHER? ANSWER IN THE REVIEWS! IT WILL REVELED NEXT CHAPTER! FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER AT WRITERSMAGNET!**


	28. Chapter 28

**Listen, I'm sorry, okay?**

**This chapter took FOREVER to write. Not only was I busy as all heck (I went to Washington D.C., beautiful city by the way!) but this chapter just wouldn't come out. I was never really satisfied with it until now. I kept rewriting and changing the plot and stuff, and I finally came upon this chapter! NOW I PROMISE I WILL BE BACK AT A REGULAR SCHEDULE!**

**Now, let us start afresh with Chapter 28, shall we? You know the drill by know (I do not own PJ).**

**Here we go!**

Nico and I pulled away, blushing. Karolena stood right in front of Nico, her huge hazel-gray eyes looking up at Nico innocently.

"Whatcha doing?" she repeated.

"Nothing," Nico replied, obviously flustered. He looked down at Erin, not meeting my gaze. "Come on. Let's get Erin out of here." He still had his arm around my waist, and I shrugged it off, standing on my own. I could barely manage it, my knees trembling.

My mind wandered to the kiss. Why did I do it? You don't just go up to a guy and kiss him. I'd only known him for a week at most. Why were my feelings so strong towards him?

Oh gods, what if he didn't think of me that way? He'd probably avoid me, thinking I was a weirdo. I think I just ruined everything.

These thoughts made the world spin around me, and Nico caught me as my knees buckled. He carefully lowered me to the ground, placing a hand to my forehead. I could feel myself burning up despite the cold temperature of the room as my vision and thoughts became muddled again. Nico shook his head, not liking the situation he was being put in. He was alone, with a poisoned demigod, a dying child, and a six year-old girl who couldn't fight. And he had to defend all three by himself in the middle of an enemy's lair.

A burst of strength flooded through me, and I realized Athena's blessing was doing this. It was like taking a five hour energy shot. I carefully sat up and met Nico's eyes. Looks like we came up with the same conclusion.

"Athena's blessing keeps giving you strength," Nico said. "The question is, though, how long will the blessing continue to do this?"

"Oh, it won't for long. She'll soon be joining your father in his domain, Son of Hades," a voice I knew all too well said behind Nico. He turned around as I rushed to stand up. Despite Athena's blessing, I still felt weak, and I drew Star, hoping I could still fight okay. I grabbed Karolena and pulled her behind me as Nico placed Erin on the ground gingerly. He turned, his jet black sword in hand. Nemesis stood in front of us now. Her thick bangs, blacker than night, covered her tanned forehead stopping just below her eyebrows while the rest of her perfectly straight hair tumbled down to her waist. She was wearing a long flowing black dress that contrasted her gold eyes nicely. She looked like a vengeful angel, which probably made sense considering she was the goddess of revenge.

"What do you want?" Nico asked harshly. Nemesis laughed.

"You're too late," she said. "Gaea has risen. Her children have risen. It is only a matter of time before they attack. It's useless. Surrender now." I could feel Karolena behind me grabbing my pant leg like it was life-or-death. Poor girl. She must've been terrified. Nemesis met my gaze, an evil glint in her eyes. "Daughter of Poseidon, it's useless. Your siblings are both nearly dead, and your father would soon follow. Give up, and I might spare you."

Gods, you don't know how much I wanted to believe her. I was tired of fighting. I could feel the poison coursing through my veins, making me weaker by the second. Even if we did get the antidote, we wouldn't get it to Poseidon quick enough. Everyone around me was dying, and it all just felt hopeless.

_No_, I told myself. You can't. The gods will not lose. Good always always_ always_ prevails over evil. I gripped Midnight tightly.

"No," I told her. Nico quickly pointed at Nemesis, muttering words so ancient I could feel the power within in them. Two undead warriors sprouted from the ground. They wore tattered uniforms, but I easily recognized them as Nazi uniforms from World War Two. I wasn't surprised that Nico picked those two skeletons. After all, Hitler was a son of Hades. A very perverted son of Hades.

Nemesis laughed, and with the flick of her fingers, she disappeared, but not before letting out a loud screech.

The ground behind us rumbled. Nico and I turned around, too stunned to run. From the wall emerged a giant.

The giant was huge. I now noticed that the ceiling was really high compared to the rest to cave. I now realized why. The giant was at least thirty feet tall with lizard-like legs holding him up. From its waist upward, it had a sort of breastplate. It was a turquoise colour with pictures of monsters deeply engraved in the metal. On its pudgy neck, a somewhat distorted human head was framed with wild green hair. _The basilisks_.

A wave of incredible nausea flooded me. My knees were shaking and I fell on my hands and knees. I knew this wasn't the poison in my bloodstream. It was the sea in my blood. This giant was born to oppose my father, and the blood in my body rebelled in his presence. The giant was literally poison to me.

Polybotes looked down at me and laughed. "I expected a challenge, not a bunch of godlings." He sniffed the air for a minute, then glanced down at me, smiling. "I smell the sea within you. Surrender now, puny demigod, for I am born to oppose the great and powerful Poseidon!" Um, no. That was not happening under my watch. The god-given bracelet began to burn fiercely, burning my skin. Karolena noticed the bracelet, and I realized she had a glazed look in her eye. She wouldn't take her eyes off the barcelet, almost as though she was possessed. I took the bracelet off, giving it to her. I had a feeling that the bracelet was better off with her than me. Thinking about it a little more, I took Midnight off, turning it into a blade and giving it to Karolena as well. I didn't feel good about leaving her without a weapon.

Polybotes pulled out a trident and began sparring Nico. I remembered the antidote. I had to get the antidote. I crawled toward the basilisk, whi hadn't noticed me yet. I had Star in my hand, but absolutely no plan as to what I could do to kill the basilisk. I thought about maybe throwing my knife but with my luck, I'd miss. I only had Star. I couldn't afford to miss.

I looked down at my hands, seeing my jeans out of the corner of my eyes. They were torned and stained, and frankly looked like sone one had ran them through a shredder.

An idea germinated in my mind and I sat down, trying my hardest to ignore the increasing nausea in my stomach. I grabbed Star and cut my jeans to really short shorts. Using the spare fabric, I began to weave myself a rope. I'd never weaved anything before, but my hands flew faster than my mind, and before I knew it, I had a twenty foot long rope. I thanked Athena yet again forher blessing. I tied the end of it to my knife and the other end around my wrist. I threw Star at the ignorant basilisk and missed, my knife clanging against the cave wall. The basilisk twitched at the sound and turned to face me, hissing. _Shit._

I began to pull my knife back to me as the snake slithered toward me, its fangs bared. I knew there was no way I could get my knife back to me fast enough. The snake was three feet in front of me. I closed my eyes as the basilisk readied itself to bite me. I said a quick prayer to Hades for safe passage to the Underworld.

I heard a strangled sound after a second and opened my eyes, surprised as all hell when it dropped dead, turning into dust in front of me. The fangs remained as spoils of war, both of the dripping venom. I looked up, surprised to see Karolena with Midnight poised to stab. She must've killed it. I wanted to laugh. Even with Sophia not here, her weapon still managed to save my butt.

"Thanks," I told Karolena. I gave her the fangs. "Keep these with you. Keep them safe. Don't lose them. See if you can get a god's help. We can't defeat the giant without one." She nodded, running off. I crawled toward Star, untying the jean rope from it and stuffing the rope in my pocket. The nausea I had from Polybotes was getting worse by the minute, but I knew Nico still needed help. We needed to stall now at least until Karolena could get some back-up.

I glanced at Nico. He was covered in sweat, his movements becoming slow and sloppy. Nico was tired. He couldn't fight for much longer. I had to get Polybotes to focus on me. That would give Nico some time to rest.

I crawled toward Polybotes, coming up from behind him and stabbing him in the foot. He roared, but continued to fight Nico. I needed something bigger. i noticed that this freezing room had water dripping from the stalactites. I closed my eyes concentrating deeply. The water gathered into a huge water ball about five times the size of a jumbo beach ball. I knew this water ball would take almost all my strength. I threw it at Polybotes, and it hit him, but not before turning into a green liquid that hit me square on my right side. My side burned like it was on fire, and I realized something I should've thought of earlier; Polybotes' touch turned water into a sort of acidic poison.

Polybotes turned, spotting me as I tried to crawl away. I was way too weak to fight, and I wanted to get away as soon as I could. Polybotes grabbed me by my waist length hair before I could get away, hoisting me up by it thirty feet off the ground. I struggled against him, but it was futile. His grip was too strong.

"Ah, little Daughter of Poseidon, " he said, smiling. "It has been long since I have feasted on your blood." My mind drew a total blank except for one thought: I had to get out of his grip.

I gripped Star, holding it above my head. With one slash, I cut my long hair, falling thirty feet to the hard stone.

The second I hit the floor, my feet collapsed from the impact. Pain flared in my body as my head hit the floor. Polybotes kicked me, and I flew through the air, cracking my skull up against the wall and collapsing in a heap, my head turned to face the battle.

The poison in me spiked, and the poison water Polybotes had shot at me was burning my skin like acid. The water trick had left me totally drained, and if it weren't for the adreanaline that was pumping in my veins, I probably would've died or at least passed out. Nico, distracted by me being kicked, was nailed in the head, and he fell. Polybotes pointed the trident at Nico's throat.

"Not so powerful now, Son of Hades?" Polybotes taunted, pressing the tip of the trident deeper into Nico's neck. I couldn't move. I was too weak. "Go to your father, permanently!" Polybotes shouted as he raised the trident. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see this. It was hopeless. We were all going to die.

The next thing made me think that I might've hit my head a little bit too hard.

"No," said a loud voice. My body tingled; the word was full of power. I opened my eyes and saw Karolena standing in the center. She was glowing a bright silver, a bow in her hand. The bow was a beautiful milky white, and it emanated an aura of power. An arrow, matching the bow, was aimed at Polybotes, and I knew she wouldn't miss if she shot it. She wore a silvery dress that looked like it was made out of pure moonlight. Karolena looked older, more like sixteen instead of the six years she was.

"You have caused enough damage, Son of Gaea," Karolena said, each word coated with a thick layer of power. "O back to where you belong." Karolena shot the arrow, and as it pierced Polybotes, he exploded in a shower of light and 's bow disappeared, turning into the bracelet I had given her. Karolena fell to her knees, looking insanely pale as she passed out. Damn. What is with everyone passing out lately?

Nico carefully stood up and began to walk toward my weak and broken figure. "Karolena first," I said as loudly as I could. It wasn't much higher than a whisper, but despite this, Nico heard what I said and knelt beside Karolena.

As Nico tended to Karolena, I did a quick self check up. My injuries came into clearer focus, and I bit my lip to prevent the scream that wanted to pierce the silence of the cave. Polybotes had banged me up pretty badly. My side was covered in blood from the water poison, and I could feel the cut I had across the top of my chest from earlier burst open. My back was scratched up pretty badly, and I could feel the blood from those little cuts lubricate my back. My head throbbed from cracking it against the cave wall. And Nemesis' poison was also making me really weak. Exhaustion overwhelmed me, and I closed my eyes.

After Nico gave Karolena a bit of nectar and ambrosia, she stirred, waking up. Nico walked over to me, his footsteps echoing in the cave. I struggled to open my heavy eyes, but I managed, just barely able to see Nico. I felt him leave my side.

My thoughts were whirring right now. We got the venom so our next stop was to Olympus to give it to Poseidon. Were we too late to save Poseidon and Sophia?

I thought back to the entire scene with Karolena. That was obviously Artemis. There was no question about that. But why did Artemis take sudden interest in this particular six year-old girl?

I didn't know how long it took before Nico returned, but it was surely a long time. I felt him kneel beside me, and I tried to open my eyes, failing miserably. I felt the heavy darkness loom over me, keeping me on the brink between consciousness and unconsciousness. I heard a sharp intake of breath, followed by an "Oh gods". One hand gently threaded itself beneath my shoulder blades, while the other went behind my knees. In a quick motion, I was being carried. I could feel Nico's bare chest through my shirt. I let out a gasp as I felt broken bones shift about.

"Shhh," Nico whispered. "I'm sorry." He began walking, careful not to shake me too much. "You're always getting yourself hurt, huh Melina?" He let out a dry chuckle. "You just attract trouble."

We walked (well, I didn't walk, but you get my point) for a long time. At one point, I felt sunlight on my face, so I concluded that we had left the cave. It was nice to be out of that freezing cold room.

Nico eventually set me down on a blanket as he worked on my various wounds. He lifted my shirt to assess the damage, and cussed heavily in Greek when he saw it.

"Melina!" he scolded to my semi-conscious self. "This is poison!" I fought with the darkness encasing me, and I managed to open my eyes. Nico was working on my side, his cold fingers giving me goosebumps. Karolena was curled up on a nearby blanket, obviously exhausted. Erin was lying on the grass beside me, still unmoving under the blanket. Nico touched an open cut on my side, and I winced, tensing up. His eyes flickered up towards me, and he finally noticed I was awake.

"Melina," he told me, looking down at my cut. "You need some serious help." I opened my mouth to cut him off, but he raised a finger, silencing me. "I can't feed you nectar or ambrosia since it either does nothing it makes it worse since you've got Nemesis' poison in your body. We need to get you to Camp."

"No," I whispered, my voice raspy. "Get antidote to Olympus first." He gave me a confused look, and I weakly pointed to Karolena. He slowly urged Karolrna awake asking her for the fangs. She gave them to him and fell asleep again. They were still dripping venom. All the talking I had just done took all my energy, and I was even weaker (if that was even possible). I knew that the second I closed my eyes, Nemesis' poison would overwhelm me and I'd end up like Sophia. I used all my willpower to stay awake now.

Erin stirred in her blanket and woke up groggily. She saw Nico and me and smiled as she jumped into Nico's lap.

"You save-ed me!" Erin said, mispronouncing the word 'saved' cutely. Nico smiled, but it was obvious his thoughts were elsewhere. He pushed Erin off his lap and whispered something to her. Her happy expression turned grim, and she nodded as she headed toward Karolena, probably to wake her up. Nico reverted his attention to me, and the kiss flooded my mind. The memory caused my injuries to come into clearer focus, and I gasped in pain. The pain was so strong, it fogged up my vision, and every second the poison within me took more of my strength away from me, making my fight with the pain harder and harder. I probably had no more than ten minutes before I ended up like Sophia.

"Shhh," he told me, stroking my hair as he tried to keep the stress out of his voice. "You'll be fine. I promise." He removed Sophia bracelet gingerly from my wrist and put it on his. Erin returned, an exhausted Karolena following her. Nico carefully threaded his arm behind my neck and knees , slowly lifting me off the floor. I bit my lip as the broken bones shifted about, and Nico began whispering things to help me relax. Gods, why was I always the one getting hurt?

Using the bracelet, we reached Olympus in seconds. I fought with the dark weight looming over me as it tried to entangle me in its grasp. I began losing touch with reality. Everything seemed like a dream as the darkness began to swallow me.

Nico barged into the throne room, all formalities thrown out the window. "Where's Poseidon?" Nico asked. I was surprised the gods hadn't killed him for being disrespectful. The throne room was just as magnificent as I remember, with each throne creating a U shape under the rotunda. All the thrones were full except for the one on Zeus' side. All conversation ceased as the entire roomed turned and faced Nico. He shifted on his feet, obviously not liking being the center of attention.

"Where's Poseidon?" Nico repeated. "I have the antidote. Hurry. We don't have time." Apollo jumped off his throne, leading Nico out of the throne room and into the infirmary. We wandered up and down twisty white hallways until we reached Poseidon's room. By now, I was semi-conscious, but even in my groggy state I was still able to tell that something wasn't right.

"Poseidon's gone," Apollo said, obviously shocked. "He's been kidnapped."

**Now I feel bad for leaving you guys with a cliffy, but I promise next chapter will be awesome! What did you think of the action scene? TUNE IN NEXT FRIDAY FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER! FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER AT WRITERSMAGNET!**


	29. Chapter 29

**Hi guys! I'm back with another chapter! You know the drill (I do not own PJ!) and here we go!**

Damn. That wasn't good.

Right now, however, I couldn't care less. I was hanging on to consciousness by a thread. Apollo took one of the fangs from Karolena and met Nico's gaze.

"Go to Camp," Apollo said, using a tone I'd never heard before. It was serious and commanding; the total opposite of Apollo. "Tell Chiron. This means war." His gaze fluttered down to me, the first time someone had acknowledged my presense since we had arrived. His gaze met Karolena's, and his face hardened. "Go. You don't have much time." With a wave of his hand, we found ourselves at the Camp Half-Blood boundaries. By now, all fight in my body was gone. I could vaguely hear Nico calling for help and me being taken from his arms. I blacked out, succumbing to the darkness and the poison

It felt like I was under a sea of darkness

I was numb, unable to feel anything. The numbness felt nice. It was refreshing, like a blast of cold water on a sweltering summer day.

It was silent except for my thoughts, which flowed like mollases, all slow and muddy. Once in a while, the silence was intruded by voices, but it wasn't often.

Soon, I was able to feel. I could feel a bed beneath me, contouring to the natural curves of my body. Sheets sat of top of me, the fabric rubbing against my bare arms and legs. A nightgown hugged my body, protecting my modesty and hiding the bandages that I could feel wrapped around my abdomen.

Smell came next, which was a fairly boring sense. Periodically, I'd smell something, but for the most part there wasn't really a scent for me to relish.

Voices began to interrupt my lethargic thoughts more frequently. I recognized words, but it was almost like there was a wall preventing the words from reaching the comprehending part of my mind. It was frustrating.

Exhaustion began to overwhelm me, and I realized that my body had been through so much. It kept sapping my energy to fix itself. Pain began to escalate as I got closer to consciousness. It was like being burned alive, but I fought through it. I had to figure out what was going on. I was finally able to clue in on what was going on around me.

I felt a guy sit down in a chair beside me. "Chiron, how is she?" a deep familiar voice asked. It was the guy in the chair. I couldn't put a name to the voice, but I knew it was familiar. I felt a hand begin to twirl my hair between his fingers.

"I am hopeful," Chiron's replied. "I believe her body will make a full recovery. Now all she needs is rest." A loud sigh escaped from the boy's mouth. "That's good. How about Sophia? Will she be alright as well?"

"Percy, can you get Will?" Chiron asked, obviously avoiding the subject. "I require his assistance." The person in the chair beside me reluctantly stood up, leaving the room. I felt Chiron fix my covers, tenderly covering my bare arms. I felt him leave my side, probably to get supplies. Soon, I heard two sets of footsteps (well, technically one of them were hooves, but you get my point) come over to my bed.

"Her side is infected," Chiron said as he removed the bandages. "We need to drain it."

"What about ambrosia?" Will asked. "It'd be cleaner. Or maybe water. She is a daughter of Poseidon after all." I could practically feel Chiron grimace.

"The poison Nemesis had given Poseidon is not allowing for healing of any kind," Chiron said, sounding really defeated. He pushed a strand of hair out of my face. "We have to let her body heal on its own." I didn't hear what happened after that as I sank back into the darkness.

The darkness began to weaken around me. I became more and more in touch with reality, staying conscious a little longer than usual. Eventually, I built up my endurance enough to free myself from the tangles of darkness.

I felt my eyes slowly open, and all the memories of the things I had heard vanished; I couldn't remember anything. Bright white light blinded me, and I tried to cover my eyes with my hands, only to find my arms tightly bound to the bed. I didn't recognize where I was. A voice chuckled, and my lethargic mind failed to recognize the voice. I began to weakly struggle against the ropes as I began to hyperventilate.

"Calm down, child," the voice said. "You're safe. I promise. Now, these lights must be bothering you." The room suddenly dimmed, and I cautiously opened my eyes. "Better?" the voice asked. I sank into the bed, nodding as exhaustion took over. The man approached my bed, looming over me. A sledgehammer full of memories fell on my head.

"Chiron?" I asked, my voice cracking horrendously. He nodded.

"Yes, child. It's me." Chiron smiled, obvious relief on his face. He carefully removed the blanket, and I shivered. With expert hands, he untied the complex knots binding me to the bed. I looked around the room, instantly recognizing it as the room in the Big House I had woken up in when I first arrived at Camp Half-Blood a year ago. Beige walls contrasted the wooden floors. Everything in the room was a shade of golden brown save for the bed which was white.

I looked down to find myself in a cotton nightgown. It reached down to just below my knees. One of my legs had a cast on it, and I assumed that it was one of the shifting bones I felt. I noticed my shoulder was bandaged, preventing me from moving it. Several layers of bandages were also wrapped around my torso from mid chest down to just above my hips.

Chiron placed a hand on my forehead, his expression grim. "Your fever is still there," Chiron muttered. "It must be the infection." Percy walked in that second, barging through the door. He was sweating with Riptide in hand, so it was obvious that he probably just got out of sword-fighting class. He looked like crap. His usually tanned skin was washed out and he had dark bags under his bright green eyes. It was apparent that he was stressed out. His eyes wandered down to my bed, and he smiled, relief obvious on his face. He ran toward my bed and gingerly held me in a hug.

"Thank gods you're awake," Percy said, relief obvious on his face. "Nico and I were really worried. I healed faster than both of you, and we assumed that was a good sign." Despite all the pain and exhaustion I felt, I tried to sit up. Chiron pushed my back down before I could try.

"No exertion. You're still weak, child," Chiron told me. "Rest, Melina. Regain your strength." His words were hypnotizing, and I felt my eyelids close as I drifted into a deep sleep.

The next time I woke up, I could tell a lot of time had past. I felt much stronger, and my pain level was almost nonexistent. Chiron wouldn't let me out of bed, however, until a week later. When I was finally deemed healthy enough to leave the Big House, I went straight to the Poseidon cabin on my crutches. I entered the bathroom, and looked at myself in the mirror for the first time in months.

I gasped at what I saw. My long dishwater blonde hair was now short. It barely brushed my shoulders. It was such a drastic change, and I found myself wanting to cry. I was not a vain person, but I loved my hair. I'd never dreamed of it short. My pale skin looked sickly in the light of the bathroom, and my hazel eyes looked dark brown. They had a strange look in them that I couldn't identify. I looked like death, literally. I ran a hand through my hair, hating the different feeling. I felt arms wrap around my waist, and I jumped.

"Hey," Nico said. "Don't look at yourself in the mirror like that." He helped me toward the bed he we lay down. He had hair hand in my hair, curling it while my head was on his arm. He smelled like a mixture of leather and soil, and I inhaled the scent. It was nice.

"You looked so much like Bianca in there," Nico commented, breaking the silence. "She used to stare at herself in the mirror, wondering why our parents had left us." He rested his head on mine. "Of course, this was before we had known who our parents used to say it was because she wasn't good enough. I'd tell her she was fine but..." He trailed off. I didn't need to hear more. The conch bell rang, and Nico stood up to leave. I grabbed his arm.

"Stay," I begged. He gave me a cute half-grin and returned beside me.

I didn't know why I asked him to stay. I guess I was alone in the Big House for so long, I needed another human's presense.

As he lay down beside me, I couldn't help but think about the kiss. The way his lips fit into mine like they were made for me, the way my body entertwined with his...it was all running through my mind. I looked up at Nico, and he stopped twirling my hair. We had just realized how close we were to each other. I could feel his breath on mine, and he leaned down. I closed my eyes as he wrapped his arm around my waist. Before our lips could meet, however, we were interrupted. In the open door, I saw Karolena and Erin.

"Whatcha doin'?" Karolena asked innocently. Erin smacked Karolena's hand.

"They were going to kiss," Erin retorted, wrinkling her face up. "Eww!" Nico and I turned red.

"What's kissing?" Karolena asked. Erin rolled her eyes, exasperated.

"It's when they shove their tongues into each other's mouths and they drink each other's spit," Erin explained. "It's gross."

"Eww!" Karolena said. "Boys have cooties!" I shrunk against Nico's chest, wanting to just disappear. Great. Those two just ruined the moment.

"They're in _love_!" Erin squealed.

"Um, Melina," Nico said, stuttering. "I need to go and take care of some dead people things. Bye!" He got up and stumbled out of the room. I wanted to groan. I was so close!

"Nico and Melina, sitting in a tree," the two of them sang. "K-I-S-S-I-N-"

"Get out!" I screamed. They skipped away, laughing. Percy walked in, a mischievious grin on his face.

"Those two bugging you?" he asked. I rolled my eyes.

"You have _no_ idea," I assured him. He laughed.

"You look exhausted," he said. "Take a nap. You need it." I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

I didn't sleep for long though, because I was soon awakened by a troubled Percy.

"Melina!" he urged. Get up! You gotta see this!" Adreanaline pumped through my, and I grabbed my crutches, following Percy out the door. Outside, I saw a crowd of people huddled in a circle. They parted to let me and Percy through. When I could see what was going on, my jaw dropped.

Karolena stood in the middle of the circle, Erin standing beside her. Right over Karolena's head was a disappearing apparation of a silver moon. It was determined.

Artemis was Karolena's mother.

Artemis had broken her maiden oath.

**You didn't expect that now did you? Tune in next week to see what the Camp's reaction is to this. REVIEW! FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER AT WRITERSMAGNET!**


	30. Chapter 30

**Hey guys! I decided to give you an extra chapter this week (so yes, there will be another one out on Friday as usual) because I've been out for so long. Since spring break is next week for me, I suppose I'll be adding quite a bit of chapters. The final installment in this trilogy will be out probably over spring break as well. I'm also planning to write a spin-off series involving Erin and Karolena. It will be hilarious, so stay tuned for more of that!**

**Without further adieu, here's Chapter 30!**

Oh my gods. This was not good.

Chiron broke through the crowd in his usual centaur form. The crowd parted for him, and he looked up at the almost nonexistent moon above Karolena's head. I approached Karolena and Erin, who were both frozen in place. "Honey, Karolena," I said. "Come with me."

"Who is my mom?" Karolena asked. "I was just claimed, wasn't I?" I ignored her question, hoping Chiron would have some explanations. He turned to us, expressionless.

"Karolena, Melina, Erin come with me," he said. "We have things we need to discuss." We followed his slow gait down to the Big House on the other side of camp. Erin and Karolena were uncharacteristically quiet, and I assumed it was from the atmosphere. I wish I could hold Karolena's hand as we walked, but with my crutches, that was impossible.

We reached the Big House, and the three of us sat down at a table across from Chiron. I eyed Dionysus sitting on the other side of the room, playing pinochle against imaginary opponents. The cards floated in midair, and it was cool to see them deal cards. I reverted my attention back to Chiron.

"Chiron, what are we going to do?" I asked. "Artemis is supposed to be a maiden goddess. This must be a mistake." Chiron shook his head.

"It is not a mistake," Chiron said. He turned to Karolena. "May I see your bracelet?" Karolena reluctantly slid the bracelet off her tiny wrist and gave it to him. He examined it for a moment, and I could tell he understood the ancient writing that was engraved in the small silver band. He pinched the bracelet, murmuring a word in Ancient Greek. The bracelet extended into a luminescent silver bow; the same one I saw in the cave. A little quiver of silver arrows appeared on his back, and he pulled an arrow out, carefully aiming the bow at the wall. He let the arrow fly, and it hit a small crack in the wall. He muttered another command in Greek, and the bow slowly shrank to a bracelet which he returned to Karolena.

"That is a miniature version of Artemis' bow," Chiron explained. "The fact that Karolena was able to use it means that she is indeed a daughter of Artemis." He turned to Karolena. "This bow is named Selene. Treat it well." She nodded, slipping the bracelet back on her wrist.

"My sister finally got knocked up, eh?" Dionysus said from his corner. "About time!"

"Mr. D.!" Chiron exclaimed. "That is inappropriate!" Karolena gripped my shirt, hiding behind my arm shyly as she turned red. Chiron chuckled. "Don't worry, child. We are not here to persecute you for something you cannot control. Gather your things from the Hermes cabin. Your new home will be cabin eight. It is the silver one. Go and get settled down." Karolena and Erin both left the room, still quiet.

"You knew Karolena was a daughter of Artemis, didn't you?" I asked.

"I had my assumptions," he replied slyly. HIs tone of voice changed to something more serious. "Karolena is not safe anymore, especially with Nemesis still abroad. They will use her. Artemis is the only reason the gods are able to get anything done. If someone were to steal Karolena, Artemis will not be able to focus, and the Age of the Gods will cease to exist. I trust you, Melina to take care of her." I nodded, feeling the weight of responsibility on my shoulders.

"So what are we going to do?" I inquired. Chiron gazed off into space.

"Nothing," he said. "We are going to prepare for war." I moved to get up and leave, but another thought hit me.

"Chiron, how's Sophia?" I asked. "Can I go see her?" When he heard the question, he seemed to have aged thirty years.

"You may," he told me. "She's in the room that was adjacent to yours." I got up to leave but he stopped me. "Melina, I was meaning to talk to you," he said quietly. "I believe you and Percy should begin thinking about making Sophia a shroud."

The second he said that, I wanted to cry. My best friend was dying. I guess I should've expected though. She was really weak, and from what I've heard, she wasn't getting much better. However, it was still a pretty bad blow.

Sophia was my best friend. We'd been through thick and thin together. I didn't really have anyone else who knew me like she did. I don't know how I could live if I lost her.

Oh gods, how was I going to tell Percy? He'd freak. If anyone loved Sophia as much as I did, it was Percy, They may have only known each other for a year, but the two siblings really got close over that time. It would crush him if she died.

I met Chiron's gaze. "Okay," I told Chiron, hiding my emotions. "I'lll get to it right away." At that note, I left to the room he had told me about.

In there, I was surprised to find Percy sitting in the chair next to the bed. Sophia's small, limp hand was in Percy's. Nico stood behind Percy, a hand on his cousin's shoulder.

"Sophia wouldn't want you doing this," Nico told Percy. "She'd want you having fun. After all, it is your birthday and your two year anniversary with Annabeth." Percy shook his head, and I saw tears streaking down his face.

"I can't be happy without her here," he said, his voice cracking. "It's not right." I approached the bed, sitting on the other chair beside Sophia's bed.

I glanced down at my best friend. She looked like death. She had lost so much weight that the bones in her face were extremely prominent. Her face was deathly pale, and her usually bright auburn hair looked black and dull. Her lips had no colour to them, and dark bags under her eyes emphasized the weight she had lost. Her breathing was almost nonexistent.

Nico interrupted the dead silence that had flooded the room by muttering something in Greek. He winced, tilting his head, almost as though he were listening to something.

"Percy, go get Chiron," he said, a tone in his voice I'd never heard before. It was dark tone, like he knew something bad was going to happen, but it was also a little hopeless, like what was going to happen he couldn't prevent. Percy gave one last glance at Sophia before rushing out to find Chiron. Before I could even think, Chiron galloped inside, ducking so he wouldn't hit the ceiling in his full centaur form.

"Nico, is everything alright?" Chiron asked, concerned. Nico met his gaze, and they seemed to have a silent conversation. Chiron's face slowly morphed into one of melancholy. He kneeled beside Sophia, his hand on her cheek. It was a simple gesture, almost like he was comforting Sophia, but I knew the real reason.

Sophia was dying.

**Dayum. Aren't I awesome to my characters? TUNE IN ON FRIDAY FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER! FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER AT WRITERSMAGNET! REVIEW! I do accept anonymous reviews and ideas!**


	31. Chapter 31

**Hey guys! I'm back! There's a couple chapters left before the end of this book (and the beginning of the final installment!) so here we go! Here's Chapter 31! **

Sophia wasn't going to recover from the poison. It was going to take her life.

I didn't exactly know what to think. Here was my best friend, lying in bed, dying.

Part of me was happy she was dying. She was obviously suffering at the hand of Nemesis. Death was finally her escape. Her pain would end. She won't have to deal with coming back to the living all psychologically screwed up. Death was a mercy for her.

On the other hand, I also felt like she should still hold on. All hardships pass with time, don't they? If she held on a little longer, perhaps the poison would fade, leaving her strong enough to wake up from all this.

I knew that couldn't happen though. Images flashed through my mind. I saw Sophia lying on the floor, bloodied and broken. No one could ever recover from torture like that, physically and psychologically.

Our life together flashed through my eyes. We'd literally been through everything together. I remembered the numerous time I would sneak into the orphanage Sophia was in after a bad fight with my mom. She'd see me crying, her green eyes alert despite how late it was. Her eyes would trail down my body analytically, looking for a would of any kind. When she'd see it, her face would morph into one of distaste and she'd usher me inside, pulling out a first-aid kit that she kept hidden under her pillow especially for me. I remembered the day I arrived at Camp Half-Blood, right before the manticore attacked, where I was urging her to ditch rehearsal because of the bad feeling I had in the pit of my stomach. Why was she so stubborn? If we had ditched, she would've been here right now, laughing alongside me. Oh gods, if only she had listened to me that day.

Deep inside me, however, I knew, regardless of the situation, I couldn't have prevented this. I couldn't deny my godly heritage. It was ingrained so deeply within me, flowing through my veins. I could never deny something that made me. I had to simply accept it.

Words floated in my mind. All I have given you is a hero's life, and a hero's life is always tragic. Poseidon wasn't kidding.

I wish Sophia was at least awake for her last moments. I really wanted to tell her how much she meant to me. It was too late now.

At that moment, Sophia's chest stopped rising. Chiron lifted the sheet that was over her body and raised it up over her head, covering her from head to toe. It was done. Sophia was gone forever. A tense silence filled the room. Percy finally broke the silence.

"She's gone, isn't she?" Percy said, strangely calm. We turned to him and nodded. Percy turned around and walked out of the room. I probably should've checked on him, but my mind still wasn't comprehending the loss. My mind didn't want to believe this. I gazed at the floor, trying to make sense of my thoughts. Chiron put a tender hand on my shoulder, startling me.

"Melina..." he said, his voice trailing off. He may have seen many of his students die, but he still didn't know exactly what to make of my reaction. He was in his wheelchair now, and I realized I must've been zoned out for a couple of minutes. A huge sadness filled me, and I leaned onto Chiron, crying.

"Oh, child," he said, pained. I was bawling, but there was only one thing I could think about: I just lost my best friend.

What was I going to do now? Sophia had held me up for so long that imagining life without her seemed impossible. It was like Sophia was my mother, holding me up as I learned to walk, but she let go too early. Now I had to teach myself to walk without the aid of an adult. It seemed hopeless.

"I never got to say goodbye," I sobbed. "I never got to say goodbye." Chiron pulled me away from him, a hand on my shoulder.

"Melina, child, you need to stay strong. Athena has been gracious enough to bless you. Mourn Sophia's loss. She was awfully young to die in such an abrupt and cruel manner." Chiron turned to Nico. "Nico, comfort Melina. She needs you right now. I will speak to Annabeth. I will also give you permission to miss curfew." Nico nodded, carefully wrapping his arms around me as I leaned into his chest.

"Come on, Melina," Nico said tenderly, leading me out of the Big House. He began to tell me comforting things, all of which I was only half-listening to.

Memories kept flashing through my mind. It was the little things that I kept remembering. I could picture her now, her hair pulled back in a ponytail as she leaned over a piano, playing her heart out. Her eyes would glaze over, and I knew she had escaped this hell of a world and into another as the music carried her off. I could picture her with her hair let down as she walked upon the stage, morphing into a character other than herself.

I remembered how she'd change her demeanor school to make it seem like she was a fun, talkative person that was always happy. That was one part should could play almost perfectly, since I knew all too well that the second she went home, she would lie on her pillow and cry herself to sleep. When we'd pick partners at school, I usually ended up partnered with someone else as she worked alone, not desirable enough to be chosen by anyone. Sometimes, I would apologize for leaving her like that, and she would simply reply, "It's okay. I'm used to it," nonchalantly, like it didn't manner, or she'd insist that she was an independent person and didn't mind working alone. Now that she was gone, I finally realized what she was actually saying by, "I'm used to it." She was used to being alone. It was all she'd even known.

I pulled myself from my depressing thoughts to find myself at the beach. Nico and I were lying in the sand. I was still sobbing, but they were silent. Nico was assuring me that Sophia made Elysium. Even that nice thought couldn't make me feel better.

Night soon turned to dawn, and Nico looked down at me, wiping the tears from my eyes.

"Go to your cabin and sleep," he told me. "I need to get things done." He walked into a nearby shadow and disappeared, leaving me alone. I began to walk in the woods, not ready to face everyone yet. I need some time to myself. Everything was quiet until I heard a voice behind me.

"You have done well, Daughter of Poseidon." I whirred around, drawing Midnight. A pang of memories hit me in the face as I realized what blade I had drawn, and I held back another round of sobs.

Behind me stood Athena. She wore a pair of blue jeans with a grey blouse, and her long hair trailed down her back in ebony ringlets. Her grey eyes were identical to her children, but they held more power to them. She smiled sympathetically at me. I curtseyed.

"Lady Athena," I said, my voice cracking between sobs. "Is there something I can help you with?" She placed a sympathetic hand on my shoulder.

"It is hard, isn't it? Losing someone you love..." She trailed off, and her cold façade returned. "Trust me, however, when I tell you that Sophia is dangerous. Her weaknesses are too easy to exploit." As much as I didn't want to believe Athena, she was right. Sophia was easy to manipulate. I've seen people do it to her at school. I noticed Athena talked about Sophia in the present tense. That was strange. "On a different topic, however, Gaea will target the Underworld first. Without Kelp Brain, there is no way this war can be won. I would search the sea first for him" A sound of thunder resonated over us, and Athena cussed in Greek.

"I must leave you," she said. "You have a difficult quest ahead of you, child." She disappeared in a column of flames, leaving me in the approaching daylight. I looked down at my hand, surprised to find that I hadn't sheathed it. The blade shined in the dim light, and I shed a tear as I remembered who held this knife.

I walked to my cabin, my crutches making a small tapping sound on the concrete. I entered my cabin, surprised to find Percy asleep. I figured after all that had happened, he would still be awake. I guess the fatigue took over.

I lay in my bed, determined to at least sleep an hour or so before breakfast, but now as I reached my destination, I couldn't. I remembered Chiron's words about beginning to make a shroud. What exactly should I put on it? I couldn't sum up one person's life in a simple piece of cloth, could I?

I thought about what Sophia would've liked. She would've enjoyed something simple and sentimental. That's just how she was.

A idea began forming the deep crevasses of my mind, and I went to the suitcase that sat abandoned in the room. It was Sophia's, and I held back my tears as I searched the suitcase. I found what I was looking for as I pulled out a blanket. It was a beautiful silk turquoise blanket. When Sophia was found at the doorstep of the orphanage, this was the blanket she was wrapped in. Despite being old, the blanket was in almost perfect condition, and it was big enough to cover Sophia's body, even now that she was much older. On the front, the name 'Sophia' was carefully stitched into the blanket in cursive script. Sophia never went anywhere without this blanket.

In a nearby drawer, I found some gold thread and a needle. With this, I began to embroider the blanket with names; the names of people Sophia soul had touched during her fifteen years of life, beginning with mine.

I got so absorbed into the embroidery that I didn't notice when Percy woke up, caught on as to what I was doing, and helped me. As I created each letter (and praying that my dyslexia didn't affect my spelling right now), I slowly relived each memory I had. By the time the shroud was done, I had reached a new level of peace. I felt like the shroud had helped me get over the death of my dearest friend.

By the time we finished the shroud, it was dark again. I hadn't felt the time pass. I could feel exhaustion tugging on my eyelids, forcing them to close. I barely had enough time to get to my bed before I fell asleep.

**Since it's spring break, I will be updating quite a bit, so just keep checking back! FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER! WRITE AND REVIEW!**


	32. Chapter 32

**This is the final chapter of 'Melina: Book Two of Sophia.' The last book, called 'The Final Installment: Book Three of Sophia' will be out later today. Thanks for following me on this journey, and I hope to see you in the next book!**

The funeral was the next day.

It wasn't extravagent; after all, Sophia would've hated that. It was a simple funeral pyre, and her body was atop of all the wood, covered by the shroud I made her.

No one at the funeral felt like it was right to dress in all black. Sophia was a fun-loving spirit; black was a depressing colour. It just didn't feel right. I myself wore a turquoise dress that one of the kids from the Aphrodite cabin lended me when they found out I didn't own a dress to wear. It was a simple silk dress with a ribbon wrapped around above my stomach. A cute blue flower was sewn onto the ribbon slightly to the left.

The entire time, people were coming up to me, apologizing for the loss like it was their fault. It reminded me of how often Sophia would tell me something negative and I would apologize, even though it wasn't my fault. I smiled as I remembered how that would drive Sophia crazy.

Chiron wanted me to say something about Sophia, but I couldn't do it. I didn't know what to say, and I didn't want to go up there and speak in front of people. I was afraid I would break down.

Sally and Paul were there with Percy. The loss hit them really hard, especially since Percy hadn't told them that Sophia had gotten sick to begin with. Sally was a mess, and Paul was trying his hardest to comfort her. They had gotten really close to Sophia during the time she had stayed with them.

Annabeth was with Percy most of the time. It was obvious she had never seen Percy cry for she seemed kind of lost as to how she should comfort him. Her grey dress was wet with tears, and I saw her urge Percy toward the beach. That was probably a good idea; after all, Percy was a son of Poseidon.

A little while later, Annabeth returned with Percy who went up to the pyre, said a few words that I can't recall, and set fire to the shroud. I watched as the fire grew, swallowing my best friend. That was it. She was gone.

I probably should've cried. After all, I had known Sophia for a good amount of my life, but I was numb. I just couldn't feel. Chiron had told me that being numb was normal for someone who was grieving. I felt kind of guilty though for not crying. I felt like my lack of tears meant that I didn't care about Sophia.

Someone came up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder. I turned around, smoothing out my dress. Leo stood there, obviously a mess. He wore a tux, which looked strange on him. Leo wasn't one for formal clothing. I could tell he was uncomfortable, but I was pretty sure he was dealing with it because of Sophia. I could practically see his broken heart. From what I've heard, Leo was a pretty lonesome person who had constantly had crushes on girls, only to be rejected. Now that Sophia came into light, he finally found a girl that might actually like him, and then she dies. It must be frustrating, and my heart broke for him.

"I'm sorry," Leo said, ruffling his hair. "I know you were really close to Sophia, and this must've hurt you like-"

"Don't, Leo," I told him, raising my hand to cut him off. "I know how much you loved Sophia. It hit you much harder than it would ever hit me." At the mention of her name, he winced and pulled something out of his pocket, twirling it. I recognized it as Sophia's necklace, the one that turned into armour. Leo saw me looking down at it and he smiled. It was a sad smile, like he was remembering something happy about Sophia.

"I thought I'd finally found someone that could understand me," he said. "Someone who understood what I had been through." He chuckled wetly. "What was I thinking? Fire and water...they just don't work." With that, he turned around and left.

Midway through the funeral, I ditched, running to the beach. I needed to be alone, and at the beach, I felt a little more at home.

I placed my feet in the wet sand, loving the feeling of the sea. This was my domain. This is where I belonged.

Waves licked my feet. Chiron had warned me to stay away from water; after all, with Poseidon gone, the sea was no longer safe for us. At that moment, I didn't care. I just needed something familiar: something good in the world to remind me that not everything was bad.

I couldn't help, as I sat here by the ocean, reflect on the prophecy.

_Three shall go to save the Lord of the Sea. _That was me, Percy, and Annabeth at first, which didn't seem to make sense until I thought about it for a second. Those were the original three that went to go actually save Poseidon, even though it changed later on.

_One shall grow weak, forced to flee. _That could've been either Annabeth or Percy. Annabeth got bitten in her leg, got weak, and left, and the poison got the Percy, forcing him to flee as well. Regardless, it was figured out.

_A secret hidden will lead the way. _This line confused me. It could've been many things, I guess. I was guessing it could've been Karolena's hidden talent that led us to Erin, but that didn't feel right. I decided to leave that line for later pondering.

_The unexpected will cause delay. _That was obviously the entire Asclepius-isn't-Apollo-and-Nemesis-captured-us thing.

_A lover's secret must one reveal. _This confused me. It had to have been the fact that Karolena was a daughter of Artemis. Artemis revealed it the first time while we were in the cave.

_For all three to survive the ordeal. _If it weren't for Artemis, Nico, Erin, and I wouldn't have survived the entire cave thing. Karolena didn't count.

I knew my life wasn't finished. Poseidon was still gone, and without him, the gods wouldn't win the impending war. With Gaea having risen, that created a new plethora of problems. I stood up, leaving the beach. I needed to talk to Chiron about war preparations.

We didn't have much time.

**TO BE CONTINUED IN 'THE FINAL INSTALLMENT: BOOK THREE OF SOPHIA' WHICH WILL BE POSTED THE SAME DAY AS THIS CHAPTER (3/27/2013)**

**Dedications: I would love to dedicate this story to all my fans out there who have kept with me as we followed the demigod lives of Sophia and Melina. Without you guys, this wouldn't be possible.**

**I would like to thank my friends who helped me come up with my characters and plots. To the friend who inspired the character Melina: You are my bestest friend in the universe. Thank you for letting me abuse your character to bits xD**

**To the friend who helped inspire Erin: Thank you for not only following me and giving me advice for pranks and funny moments, but for annoying me on those tiring Fridays when I had yet to finish a chapter with all those 'Is it posted yet' texts. This book couldn't have been done without you.**

**To the friend who inspired Karolena: You're awesome. I doubt you'll read this, but honestly, thanks for following along somewhat with the story.**


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